Chapter 148 : Chapter 148
Chapter 148. The Princess’s Two Faces (2)
As soon as I entered, I realized my worries had been needless.
“So? What happened after that?”
Ophelia had set Sapiela aside and was completely engrossed in Young Master Hamel. The way she rested her chin on her hand and sent him subtle looks made her resemble a young girl gazing at a warm, respectable older boy from church.
After letting the silence linger for a moment, Young Master Hamel smiled and continued his explanation.
“If I had rolled even a beat too late at that moment, the Orc’s axe would probably have split my head open. It was an extremely close situation. However, I could not retreat. I had to do my utmost for the safety of the people of our Adeline Territory. So I rose and swung my sword with all my strength.”
Young Master Hamel mimed swinging a sword. His eyes were alive. I almost thought he was filming a movie.
“And what happened?”
“I cut off the head of the Orc that was targeting me. We did not let a single one of the bastards who invaded our territory leave alive.”
“Amazing! That is truly wonderful. I had no idea Ella had such an impressive older brother!”
It seemed his Acting A-Rank was not going anywhere. Hamel was showing off his exploits beside Ophelia, and Ophelia was happily tearing off pieces of bread as she listened.
Since the Orc story had come up, it seemed he was talking about the incident last year when the Orc tribes united and invaded the Adeline Territory.
At the time, I had not yet been hit by the Reincarnation Truck, so I did not know the details. Judging by the story, it seemed Young Master Hamel had also gone to battle and rendered distinguished service.
Since among his Traits, Swordsmanship and Tactics were both A-Rank, he would have been more than capable of achieving merit.
“Hahahaha. You flatter me. My elder brothers are far more outstanding than I am.”
“Really? I would like to meet them once…….”
At that moment, Hamel’s eyes shone like an eagle that had found prey.
“Unfortunately, the atmosphere in the territory has not been good lately. Because of that, both of my elder brothers are busy. Naturally, my father, the Head of House, should have come in person, but considering the situation, I ask for your generous understanding.”
“Hm? Is something happening in Adeline?”
“That is…….”
Young Master Hamel naturally conveyed the conflict between House Adeline and House Astria.
His manner of speaking was excellent. He neither leaned on emotion nor disparaged the other party, but spoke as objectively as possible, as though a third party were explaining the situation.
As expected, my intuition had been correct.
Young Master Hamel was a true article. Of course, the other young masters likely had their own outstanding points, but if he had to give up the Succession Order simply because he was the third son, it would truly be a waste.
“So something like that happened…… Well, I do not really understand such complicated stories, but I hope everything works out happily for everyone.”
“Misunderstandings between both sides are deepening more and more. If Your Highness were to help a little, I believe the matter may be resolved smoothly.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I would like to make a special request of you, Your Highness.”
Hamel bowed his head once more and asked politely.
I did not think he had been that polite even in front of his father, Marquis Chronos. I could tell that Young Master Hamel had truly hardened his resolve.
“Not only our house, but House Astria as well, is a house that represents the Kingdom. For us to quarrel is also a national loss. The trade route has already been cut off, the movement of goods has been blocked, and damage is occurring one after another. Our house is the center of trade and a major gateway to the border. If this state continues, it will affect the front line as well. If that happens, it is obvious that the neighboring kingdoms will stir up trouble.”
“Oh my! That must not happen…….”
“If Your Highness steps forward even a little to mediate here, millions of subjects will praise that grace. How could a house that serves the royal family defy such a command?”
Hamel lowered his head even deeper. The Princess, who had been chewing bread in her mouth, swallowed it. Then she reached out and picked up a wineglass.
“How commendable your sincerity is.”
I was startled. Had I heard that correctly?
It was definitely Princess Ophelia’s voice. Her voice was cold and did not match her expression at all. It was as though another person had possessed her.
However, that moment did not last long. Ophelia returned to her usual lively self.
“Mm~ I heard you well! Then if the two houses make peace, will our Ella’s expression brighten a little more?”
“I am sorry to say this in such a setting, but Ella does not want a marriage with House Astria. As Ella’s older brother by blood, I simply hope my younger sister can become even a little happier.”
“But can I really accomplish such a thing? Even if I am a princess, I have no power…….”
“If that were truly the case, I would not have said this to you. I support Your Highness’s potential.”
At that moment, the two exchanged glances. Both were smiling, but their smiles were not pure in meaning. They had a murky, worldly feeling.
The Princess was the first to speak.
“Potential sounds good. Then…… will I be able to receive help later as well?”
“Of course. Whatever it may be, I am prepared to comply. For the endless glory of the royal family and the Kingdom.”
“Good. It seems the two of us have something in common!”
The Princess took a pleased sip of wine.
“COUGH! COUGH, COUGH!”
Perhaps it had gone down the wrong way, or perhaps it was her first time drinking alcohol, because she coughed and frowned. Startled, Sapiela wiped the Princess’s lips with a napkin.
However, the alcohol had already splashed everywhere.
“Are you all right?”
“Ugh, it tastes terrible.”
“Shall I prepare another drink for you?”
“That was alcohol? I cannot drink alcohol!”
When the Princess made a fuss, the maids turned pale and moved to prepare juice.
“Step back.”
Young Master Hamel gripped the bottle with a gloved hand. Wait, as far as I knew, that bottle was not grape juice.
GLUG.
A wine-colored liquid began filling a clean glass. Young Master Hamel smiled meaningfully and explained.
“This is an excellent grape juice made from grapes harvested in the southern region. Next time, I will prepare something even sweeter and more delicious just for Your Highness.”
“Wow! How exciting~”
After drinking deeply from the liquid poured inside, the Princess smiled.
“It is delicious! The juice is delicious, the bread is delicious, and the food is the best! Older Brother is the best too! Today’s banquet is truly the best, the very best!”
This was confusing. What in the world was going on?
It seemed it was my turn to step forward. I was too frustrated to keep watching.
“Excuse me.”
Before I knew it, I had approached the Princess’s side. In my hand was a luxurious handkerchief.
“When you coughed earlier, some alcohol splashed onto your clothes. May I tidy it up for you briefly?”
“Yes. Sir Dilen is so kind~ Ella must be happy.”
I wiped the Princess’s shoulder area with the handkerchief.
Naturally, there was no way the place where the wine had splashed would be wiped clean. The stain remained as it was. After all, wiping it was never the purpose in the first place.
Soon, a Status Window appeared before my eyes.
====
○ Ophelia Firerain de Alphrost
Rank: ★★★★★
Level: 24
Trait: Emotional Control S, Acting A, Politics A, Intelligence A, Culture A, Elegance A, Refinement A, Stratagem A, Personnel Management B, Ambition B, Extravagance B, Diplomacy B, Eloquence C, Etiquette C, Sexual Desire C, Cruelty C, Self-Defense Arts C, Drinking D, ???
Status: Numb
Areas of Interest: having all subjects worship her. Succeeding to the throne. Pride in her bloodline.
Favorability: 21
Alignment: Very Evil
[Not unlocked]
……
====
My suspicion had been correct.
This banquet was a duel between two geniuses who both possessed Acting A-Rank.
Ophelia was a five-star figure, and her Trait page was far more splendid than Sapiela’s.
If my memory was accurate, she seemed to have the most Traits among all the Status Windows I had seen so far. I could not even guess how many more were hidden behind those question marks.
On top of that, perhaps because her bloodline was noble, many unusual Traits were visible as well.
Drinking and Sexual Desire.
I could not even guess what the secret private life of this seemingly innocent and lovely Princess might be like.
Among them, the thing that bothered me most was still her Alignment.
I could let everything else pass. Liking alcohol and having strong sexual desire were not bad things. They were part of a person’s individuality, not something evil.
However, I believed Alignment was different.
I did not know how bad Very Evil was, but when I considered that the people around me all had an Alignment of Good or higher, she had to be classified as a dangerous person.
Even Young Master Hamel, who could leap anywhere at any moment, was Very Good, was he not?
It was true, after all, that one could not judge a person by appearance alone.
And through the Status Window, I was able to understand why the Princess got along so well with Young Master Hamel.
They were the same in that both were moving with their eyes on supreme authority. The Princess’s interest was not marrying into a good house and living a life of comfort and luxury, but standing above other people’s heads and ruling over them.
Since they aimed for the same thing, they could not help aligning with each other, even if their Alignments were polar opposites.
The liquid Young Master Hamel had poured as though it were grape juice had actually been strong wine, and the fact that the Princess had calmly drunk it while pretending it was juice was probably a scene that meant their secret transaction had been concluded.
It felt as though Young Master Hamel had come properly prepared.
“Sir Dilen.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Looking at her innocent expression made me feel uneasy. Just how thick a mask did one have to wear to make such an expression?
“What do you think about sparring once with Sir Cassiopeia? You are Ella’s Private Tutor, and they say you handle a sword well too. I heard you are an Aura User~”
“It is merely a meager talent. Compared to Sir Cassiopeia, it is no more than a drop in the ocean.”
“You defeated the knights of House Adeline twice with a meager talent? The knights of House Adeline are not that weak, are they?”
Had a single drink made her excited?
“Sir Cassiopeia once said this.”
As she said that, the Young Lady cast her gaze behind me. I followed that gaze as well. At some point, Sir Cassiopeia had entered the room.
“That you cannot know the outcome of a contest unless you swing your sword. That strength is not objective, but subjective~”
“As expected of Your Highness. You remember it exactly.”
Sir Cassiopeia smiled. The way she was fiddling with her sword while looking at me made it seem as though she longed for the Sparring match that had fallen through before she entered.
I turned my head back and spoke carefully.
“You are correct, but I am merely a Butler, while Sir Cassiopeia is a Knight representing the royal family. A child cannot fight an adult.”
“Even so, try crossing blades once. A Sparring match should be fine. Sir Dilen will also have something to learn, will you not? Hm?”
The Princess smiled brightly, as though driving in the final nail. At that moment, Sapiela cautiously stepped forward.
“Still, this is a dining occasion, so would a Sparring match not be somewhat dangerous? If Your Highness is amenable, I believe something like a Sword Dance would also be acceptable.”
“A Sword Dance? Yes. Ella is right. Then, Sir Cassiopeia, Sir Dilen. I leave it to you! But do not go too easy on each other either~ That would not be fun.”
At the word “fun,” Sapiela’s brow narrowed. Had she finally noticed that something was a little strange?
I glanced toward the people of House Adeline. Sapiela sent me an apologetic expression, while Young Master Hamel sent me a meaningful one.
At this point, I could not retreat.
I stepped back slightly and faced Sir Cassiopeia. Then I drew the treasured sword Marquis Chronos had bestowed upon me when I received my title.
SHING!
The brilliant blade gleamed under the bright light.