Chapter 99
Translator: Yonnee
RP: Haebaragi_syk
—
Fwick!!
After uttering such a line, Reina went as far as using magic right then and there to hit herself, and she was flung back as though someone had pushed her.
Oh, but good gracious? Coincidentally, what broke her fall was, of all things, a rose bush full of thorns.
Thuuud—!!!
“Uugh…! L-Lehman, why!!”
Thanks to the bush, her leg got scratched by the thorns and blood started trickling down her porcelain skin.
“Hiic… L-Lehman. Stop… What in the world did I do so wrong… Cough…!”
“REINA!!”
“Noona!!”
At the sound of Ethan, Paul and Eli’s voices, Reina quickly bit down on the flesh of her cheek.
It hurt a lot, but regardless, blood flowed out. Everything’s ready.
“Reina?!”
‘Oh, even Letis. That’s right, come here! All of you, come!!”
Swiftly checking how many audience members had come, Reina allowed her body to go limp and started shedding a few tears.
She wasn’t sure if it’s going to work, but after being subjected to Lehman’s one-man theater plays all this time—which quite effectively had been working thus far—the people in this world seemed to be a bit gullible.
By the time she thought of this, a familiar and refreshing scent reached her.
“Reina!! Are you okay?!”
As he seemed incredibly taken aback, Ethan rushed to pull Reina out of the thorn bushes and carried her in his arms.
At the same time, Paul stepped forward to cast a healing spell on her, and Eli raised his sword against Lehman, murderous intent completely enshrouding his demeanor.
‘Oh my… It worked.’
When Letis finally arrived, he looked at Lehman with exceedingly cold eyes.
Thinking it over for a moment, Reina made up her mind and soon let out a pained sob.
“Hiic…”
When she was at the brunt of this underhanded, shameless attack, she always looked at Lehman with an incredulous expression, but…
‘Tell me, exactly how many times did I suffer because of this act! I’m barely crying here, but just look at that shock factor, huh?!’
“That thing, why…”
Right at that moment, Ethan—the strongest of the individuals present here—had his eyes trained on one particular thing, and it was the Liam household’s pendant.
After perhaps overacting, Reina didn’t realize that the pendant that was in her pocket had gotten flung away. However, the person who picked it up didn’t seem to think that this was the case.
Shhhk—
The pendant was clearly charred black with its shattered glass breaking off. Looking at this intensely, Ethan asked.
“This… What exactly have you done, Lehman Karr?”
His patience seemed to have completely run out, but he continued to speak with a low, forcefully leveled voice as though to just keep the least courtesy he could still give.
Silently staring at the people now standing in front of her like they’re guarding her, Reina unknowingly admired the sight.
‘Wow… The original novel really must be over now.’
She deliberately steered the situation to reach this point, but she suddenly felt a little—juuust a tiny bit—sorry for Lehman.
* * *
About twenty-five minutes before Reina’s exhilarating performance—
“Goodness. You really came alone, huh?”
Hearing the other man’s mirth-filled voice, Ethan clicked his tongue and looked at him, who continued to speak.
“So since you got dumped by Reina, what do we do if you start crying?”
The petty words didn’t exactly fit the image of the imperial family, but it should not be forgotten—this man was one of the world’s strongest individuals, and whatever he said was law, etiquette and the very measure of courtesy.
“What do you mean, ‘dumped’? I was not. My invitation was merely ‘turned down’ because Paul Bohr asked first to be her escort.”
That’s right. Ethan wanted to ask Reina if he could escort her to the upcoming ball, so a few days ago, he asked dragonfolk #1 and dragonfolk #2 for advice… which didn’t really feel like advice anyhow.
But the answer Reina gave him was…
“Ah, um… What do we do. I promised to go with Paul already.”
Paul Bohr. Somehow or another, the image of Paul in Ethan’s head was that of an imbecile who had clearly lost a few screws here and there. Even so, after recalling that time, Ethan bristled with emotion again.
So, he emphasized it for a second time.
“I did not get dumped. She merely turned down my invitation because she had a reason.”
“No difference, really.”
“Besides that, I did not cry.”
“Ahh, is that so? I thought you did. You’ve been making this face that looks like you’re about to cry because the ground under you is about to get destroyed.”
Whether or not that’s right, Ethan couldn’t refute it this time. Instead, he turned away sharply and leaned back on the ledge.
“You never usually go to such events, but you’re even here at a ball now,” Ethan commented.
“Right, and I’m only here because of you, who also doesn’t usually go to such events.”
“…Can you please stop teasing me?”
Benedict burst into laughter as he jumped onto the ledge. It looked terribly dangerous, but what kind of danger would that pose to someone like him?
“No way. It’s much too fun to stop.”
Ethan decided to just let the cunning grand duke do whatever he wanted. What would Ethan be able to do to stop him?
“Anyway, you’re not even here with a partner to the ball. Did you come here to be miserable?”
“…I am not miserable. I’m merely spending time alone because I have nothing else going on.”
“Then why don’t you go home?”
He didn’t want to do that either. Reina was still somewhere in this mansion, and at the very least, Ethan wanted to be in the same space as her for just a while.
You could say that this was somewhat of a stalker’s behavior, but how could Ethan—who was practically a premature baby who had only recently opened his eyes to love—know what else to do?
“Don’t butt into my affairs.”
“Should I not? Even though I saw Reina alone just now?”
At Benedict’s prompt, Ethan blinked.
“Paul is talking to Marquis Bohr right now.”
“R…Really?”
“Yup. But you told me not to butt in, so I shouldn’t tell you, right?”
Ethan couldn’t help but notice that there were so many people around him these days who were particularly good at infuriating him.
But then, what could he do here? The person who needed something was the one who should bend down.
“…You only misunderstood me.”
“Hmm… I don’t think I misunderstood anything, but let me hear you out first. Go on. What’s your excuse?”
Leaning forward with his head tilting diagonally, Benedict stared at Ethan with an expectant gaze, looking forward to how the kid would dig himself out of this.
“I meant to say that you don’t have to pay attention to this matter. I didn’t want Your Highness the Grand Duke to mind such a small thing when you’re already so busy as it is.”
“That’s not what you said at all though?”
“My manner of speaking has always been quite dastardly, I’m aware.”
“That’s true.”
Chuckling, the grand duke’s eyes were curved mirthfully. He wanted to tease Ethan a little more, but he’s already shaking with impatience like a puppy as it was. If Benedict were to tease him a little more here, he’d definitely grab him by the collar the next second.
There’s not a single person in the whole who’d dare grab a dragon descendant by the collar except for Ethan.
“I saw Reina go to the rear garden alone just now.”
And as soon as he heard ‘rear garden’, Ethan disappeared from Benedict’s view. He got dazed for a moment, but he soon guffawed jovially.
“Good grief. Really, just something you’d have to live for a long time to see.”
Who could have ever expected for that ‘Ethan’ to change like this?
“I might really have to give Reina an award.”
Chapter 99
Translator: Yonnee
RP: Haebaragi_syk
—
Fwick!!
After uttering such a line, Reina went as far as using magic right then and there to hit herself, and she was flung back as though someone had pushed her.
Oh, but good gracious? Coincidentally, what broke her fall was, of all things, a rose bush full of thorns.
Thuuud—!!!
“Uugh…! L-Lehman, why!!”
Thanks to the bush, her leg got scratched by the thorns and blood started trickling down her porcelain skin.
“Hiic… L-Lehman. Stop… What in the world did I do so wrong… Cough…!”
“REINA!!”
“Noona!!”
At the sound of Ethan, Paul and Eli’s voices, Reina quickly bit down on the flesh of her cheek.
It hurt a lot, but regardless, blood flowed out. Everything’s ready.
“Reina?!”
‘Oh, even Letis. That’s right, come here! All of you, come!!”
Swiftly checking how many audience members had come, Reina allowed her body to go limp and started shedding a few tears.
She wasn’t sure if it’s going to work, but after being subjected to Lehman’s one-man theater plays all this time—which quite effectively had been working thus far—the people in this world seemed to be a bit gullible.
By the time she thought of this, a familiar and refreshing scent reached her.
“Reina!! Are you okay?!”
As he seemed incredibly taken aback, Ethan rushed to pull Reina out of the thorn bushes and carried her in his arms.
At the same time, Paul stepped forward to cast a healing spell on her, and Eli raised his sword against Lehman, murderous intent completely enshrouding his demeanor.
‘Oh my… It worked.’
When Letis finally arrived, he looked at Lehman with exceedingly cold eyes.
Thinking it over for a moment, Reina made up her mind and soon let out a pained sob.
“Hiic…”
When she was at the brunt of this underhanded, shameless attack, she always looked at Lehman with an incredulous expression, but…
‘Tell me, exactly how many times did I suffer because of this act! I’m barely crying here, but just look at that shock factor, huh?!’
“That thing, why…”
Right at that moment, Ethan—the strongest of the individuals present here—had his eyes trained on one particular thing, and it was the Liam household’s pendant.
After perhaps overacting, Reina didn’t realize that the pendant that was in her pocket had gotten flung away. However, the person who picked it up didn’t seem to think that this was the case.
Shhhk—
The pendant was clearly charred black with its shattered glass breaking off. Looking at this intensely, Ethan asked.
“This… What exactly have you done, Lehman Karr?”
His patience seemed to have completely run out, but he continued to speak with a low, forcefully leveled voice as though to just keep the least courtesy he could still give.
Silently staring at the people now standing in front of her like they’re guarding her, Reina unknowingly admired the sight.
‘Wow… The original novel really must be over now.’
She deliberately steered the situation to reach this point, but she suddenly felt a little—juuust a tiny bit—sorry for Lehman.
* * *
About twenty-five minutes before Reina’s exhilarating performance—
“Goodness. You really came alone, huh?”
Hearing the other man’s mirth-filled voice, Ethan clicked his tongue and looked at him, who continued to speak.
“So since you got dumped by Reina, what do we do if you start crying?”
The petty words didn’t exactly fit the image of the imperial family, but it should not be forgotten—this man was one of the world’s strongest individuals, and whatever he said was law, etiquette and the very measure of courtesy.
“What do you mean, ‘dumped’? I was not. My invitation was merely ‘turned down’ because Paul Bohr asked first to be her escort.”
That’s right. Ethan wanted to ask Reina if he could escort her to the upcoming ball, so a few days ago, he asked dragonfolk #1 and dragonfolk #2 for advice… which didn’t really feel like advice anyhow.
But the answer Reina gave him was…
“Ah, um… What do we do. I promised to go with Paul already.”
Paul Bohr. Somehow or another, the image of Paul in Ethan’s head was that of an imbecile who had clearly lost a few screws here and there. Even so, after recalling that time, Ethan bristled with emotion again.
So, he emphasized it for a second time.
“I did not get dumped. She merely turned down my invitation because she had a reason.”
“No difference, really.”
“Besides that, I did not cry.”
“Ahh, is that so? I thought you did. You’ve been making this face that looks like you’re about to cry because the ground under you is about to get destroyed.”
Whether or not that’s right, Ethan couldn’t refute it this time. Instead, he turned away sharply and leaned back on the ledge.
“You never usually go to such events, but you’re even here at a ball now,” Ethan commented.
“Right, and I’m only here because of you, who also doesn’t usually go to such events.”
“…Can you please stop teasing me?”
Benedict burst into laughter as he jumped onto the ledge. It looked terribly dangerous, but what kind of danger would that pose to someone like him?
“No way. It’s much too fun to stop.”
Ethan decided to just let the cunning grand duke do whatever he wanted. What would Ethan be able to do to stop him?
“Anyway, you’re not even here with a partner to the ball. Did you come here to be miserable?”
“…I am not miserable. I’m merely spending time alone because I have nothing else going on.”
“Then why don’t you go home?”
He didn’t want to do that either. Reina was still somewhere in this mansion, and at the very least, Ethan wanted to be in the same space as her for just a while.
You could say that this was somewhat of a stalker’s behavior, but how could Ethan—who was practically a premature baby who had only recently opened his eyes to love—know what else to do?
“Don’t butt into my affairs.”
“Should I not? Even though I saw Reina alone just now?”
At Benedict’s prompt, Ethan blinked.
“Paul is talking to Marquis Bohr right now.”
“R…Really?”
“Yup. But you told me not to butt in, so I shouldn’t tell you, right?”
Ethan couldn’t help but notice that there were so many people around him these days who were particularly good at infuriating him.
But then, what could he do here? The person who needed something was the one who should bend down.
“…You only misunderstood me.”
“Hmm… I don’t think I misunderstood anything, but let me hear you out first. Go on. What’s your excuse?”
Leaning forward with his head tilting diagonally, Benedict stared at Ethan with an expectant gaze, looking forward to how the kid would dig himself out of this.
“I meant to say that you don’t have to pay attention to this matter. I didn’t want Your Highness the Grand Duke to mind such a small thing when you’re already so busy as it is.”
“That’s not what you said at all though?”
“My manner of speaking has always been quite dastardly, I’m aware.”
“That’s true.”
Chuckling, the grand duke’s eyes were curved mirthfully. He wanted to tease Ethan a little more, but he’s already shaking with impatience like a puppy as it was. If Benedict were to tease him a little more here, he’d definitely grab him by the collar the next second.
There’s not a single person in the whole who’d dare grab a dragon descendant by the collar except for Ethan.
“I saw Reina go to the rear garden alone just now.”
And as soon as he heard ‘rear garden’, Ethan disappeared from Benedict’s view. He got dazed for a moment, but he soon guffawed jovially.
“Good grief. Really, just something you’d have to live for a long time to see.”
Who could have ever expected for that ‘Ethan’ to change like this?
“I might really have to give Reina an award.”
