No, look, Mr. Yenika (4)
“Lucy Mayril.”
It was about a week before the start of school when the inferior Princess Fenia called Lucy into her private room.
“Now, slowly… You have to go back to school… ”
The Cloel Imperial Palace rises high in the center of Cloeron, the ecliptic capital.
It consists of a total of 11 palaces and 21 annex buildings centered around a central spire, and when looking down from the sky, it feels like a huge village is located inside the capital.
Among them, the Rose Palace, located northeast of the spire, was a facility mainly used as a place for the royal family to stay.
The marble building neatly located on the outermost side of the Rose Palace, the reception room of the building built solely for Princess Fenia… Lucy Mayril sat listlessly.
Someone would be shocked to see the person leaning against the backrest and looking like they were sprawled out.
This is the Rose Palace, where the royal family must be most neatly groomed, and in particular, it is the private reception room of Princess Fenia.
Although many of the imperial palace’s high-ranking ministers looked down upon this place, Lucy Mayril was just lying on the sofa with sleepy eyes.
At first, everyone who saw it was shocked, but as Lucy Mayril stayed in the castle for a long time, everyone got used to it.
This is the kind of person he originally was.
Rather than paying attention to what those around you think, you are a person who makes those around you suit you.
He was a human being with such strength and ability.
“… ”
Lucy looked at Princess Fenia sitting across from her with blank eyes.
As for Princess Fenia, I feel like I am now sitting at the negotiation table with the fate of the imperial family at stake.
At least since we studied at the same Sylvania as Lucy Mayril, we were somewhat old friends.
At the imperial level, there was a hope that Princess Fenia could persuade Lucy to send her back.
“It’s already been a few days since that uproar at the imperial meeting.”
“… is it. … Time flies… ”
An imperial meeting to discuss the treatment of the Rosstaylor family.
Selaha’s opinion is that all talented members of the Rosstaylor family should be eliminated, and its representatives, Tanya and Ed, should be brought to the imperial court and held accountable.
Fenia’s opinion is to leave the talented members of the Rosstaylor family on standby for the time being, and to leave Ed Rosstaylor alone for now since he has Tanya and Lucy as substitutes.
Persica’s opinion was to strip the Ross Taylor family of their dukedom, appoint only those with actual ability, and then imprison Ed Ross Taylor until the situation is resolved.
A situation in which the opinions of Selaha, which is hostile to Rosstaylor, Fenia, which is friendly, and Persica, which is relatively neutral, are conflicting. It was at that moment that Lucy stormed into the center of the conference room.
All entrances were blocked with high-level light magic and elemental magic, and he was sitting on the conference table in front of the emperor, looking down at the people with cold eyes. Threateningly unleashing her enormous magical power, she stunned Princess Fenia.
He can’t be considered a hero who personally kicked out Mebula and saved the lives of dozens of high-ranking nobles… An overly bloody sight.
She did not like that the meeting was moving toward arresting Ed Ross-Taylor.
In this way, Lucy committed a crime that would not have been surprising if she was put to death, but she somehow got away with it. This is because the achievements he made at the Ross Taylor mansion were enormous.
It wouldn’t be easy to offset all that enormous effort, but she was a girl who would definitely do it.
“Actually, I… It doesn’t matter if I don’t graduate… ”
The reason why Lucy Mayril continues to attend Sylvania is because of Glokt Elderbane’s will.
Although it was said that it was to cope with the crisis that would come in Sylvania someday, Glockt actually had a wish for Lucy to become more of an adult while enjoying school life as well as work.
Although that didn’t happen.
“still… First of all, I went there for two years. “Shouldn’t I graduate even if it’s a waste of time I spent attending school?”
“hmm… ”
“Don’t you ever want to go back to that cabin camp any time soon? “The imperial environment should be comfortable, but you spent the most time there, Lucy.”
Lucy was shaking her head and listening to Fenia’s story. Come to think of it, it had been a while since he had seen Ed Ross Taylor’s face.
In fact, there were so many things I did out of anger that I forgot about them, but no matter what, I have to return to Aken Island someday.
“I have to go back to Aken Island when school starts this year, so I’m going with you. “You will be able to return to school more comfortably if you take the well-equipped imperial carriage.”
Lucy had no reason not to nod her head at Fenia’s words.
When I came to the imperial court, I took Selaha’s carriage, but when I returned to Aken Island, I had to take an inconvenient private carriage.
If you are going to travel long distances, it is better to take a comfortable imperial carriage.
“then… Is that so… ”
Lucy spoke lightly.
Princess Fenia heard those words and nodded while looking at the servant next to her. The servant went out on foot and reported the news to the group of servants waiting outside.
– They say the Grand Wizard is returning to school!
– at las! You are finally returning!
– hurray! hurray!
– We are finally going back to our daily lives!
― Princess Fenia! Princess Fenia did it!
Because of Lucy, who went on a rampage in Sellaha’s territory whenever she got the chance, the servants who had worked hard cheered.
The sound reached Princess Fenia’s reception room without hesitation, but Lucy didn’t even seem to care and just lazily sat on the sofa.
Fenia took a deep breath and felt relieved that she had finally solved one problem.
Anyway, get to the imperial palace as quickly as possible… Fenia’s wavering power was brought under control to some extent.
Most of them went over to Princess Selaha’s side, but the directors and middle management, especially those from the Rosstaylor family, whose positions were precarious, all seemed to have gone to Princess Fenia’s side.
Even so, it would be difficult to stand up to Princess Selaha’s power… Right now, Princess Fenia’s power was not at a dangerous level.
“but… ”
The question that comes to mind is whether continuing to attend Sylvania Academy is the right choice.
The reason Princess Fenia studied at Sylvania in the first place was because the emperor had no intention of doing so.
However, if you begin to confront Princess Selaha head-on, aiming for the imperial throne will inevitably become a follow-up goal.
If that happens, staying away from the imperial court and staying on Aken Island will be a huge weakness.
Nevertheless, Princess Fenia decided to head to Aken Island.
First of all, I had to take Lucy to Aken Island, and I also wanted to meet Ed Rothtaylor and check on her condition.
“perhaps… “This could be my last semester at Sylvania.”
Suddenly that thought occurred to Princess Fenia, and she felt strangely strange.
– at las! You are finally returning!
– hurray! hurray!
– We are finally going back to our daily lives!
The voices of workers chanting for national independence could be heard from outside the window.
“Ed Rosstaylor.”
Of course, among the private offices located in the Rose Palace, there is that of the Princess of Persica.
Second Princess Persica’s office is piled with so many books that you wonder if this is okay. It was almost impossible to see the floor or walls.
The girl who was sitting buried between the piles of books was rubbing her chin and thinking deeply.
Since Crown Prince Lindon gave up the throne, there have been no significant variables in the competition to form the imperial family.
However, watching Princess Fenia and Princess Selaha fighting over Ed Rosstaylor’s agenda for new soldiers… It seems like he holds a key that only Persica knows about.
This is not a good phenomenon. There must be a reason why the other two imperial lords are so obsessed with him, but they are so isolated that they cannot fathom the reason.
Even Lucy Mayril, who was a major contributor to resolving this situation, openly defends him, so no matter how you look at him, he is an unusual man. It is a variable that should not be taken lightly.
I felt like I needed to find out more about the man. It doesn’t suit Persica’s temperament to be left behind alone.
However, it is very difficult to meet him in person. He appears to be living on Aken Island, located at the southwestern tip of the continent, so the physical distance is too far.
Normally, it would not have been possible to summon him using the authority of the princess, but at this point, whether or not to have him appear at the imperial court has become a political issue. It is not easy to do so alone.
In that case, there was no choice but to go directly to Aken Island, but for the Princess of Persica to suddenly go to Aken Island was an act that seemed too politically obvious.
Selaha and Fenia would watch Persica with sharp eyes, and there was a high possibility that Ed Rosstaylor, who was involved, would also be on guard for now.
Princess Fenia is originally a student at Sylvania, so it is not strange for her to return to Aken Island, but Persica is an outsider.
“Right now… “There is no reason to force a space.”
Persica was in agony, pushing all the history books to the side of the pile.
The former successor to the Ross Taylor family, a man who was once famous for being an asshole, but whose reputation has recently begun to rebound.
However, because she had no experience of meeting him in person, Ed Rothtaylor’s existence felt like an unidentified sidekick hidden behind a veil to Persica.
Anyway, I think we need to be conscious of his existence. Because it seems like he will have influence in this imperial competition in some way.
In this way, Ed Rosstaylor was slowly emerging as a person who occupied the key point of contention between the three princesses.
*
“You’re expanding the camp?”
“First of all, I want to make it more believable. “I will do most of it myself, but I’m sure there are some parts that will require some help.”
“Hmm… ”
The next day, Lortel returned and his expression had changed more than expected. That doesn’t mean it’s a dramatic change, though.
The fox-like eyes and slim impression are still the same, and the auburn hair tied back on one side seems to be slightly longer than before.
Maybe I’m consciously growing my hair out, but the hair flowing down the back has become more abundant… It felt more cozy than the previous neat impression.
Since he is a merchant who uses even his impressions as a weapon, I thought that this change was also intentional.
“Of course, I’m not asking you to do it for free. This time, after taking the top student position, I had a lot of money left over for tuition. “I plan to use that money to invest in the camp.”
I thought it wouldn’t be polite to talk about business like this to Lortel, who had just returned, but Lortel seemed to prefer talking about money like this. She is that kind of girl by nature.
“Well, anyway, we can just use the spare carriage space to procure supplies. Besides, it’s not like building a big building, and the construction of a small cabin like this can be completed quickly, so it doesn’t cost a lot of money.”
Lortel’s personal belongings brought by the employees of the store were filled near the bonfire.
The wooden house built by Lortel is not that big to be considered a villa for a wealthy person. This is because Lortel knows very well that if he builds a big house for himself, he will end up feeling like he is floating.
Lortel’s villa, which was neatly built to fit the size of the camp, had been completely cleaned out by Belle Maia just yesterday.
I was also shown a glimpse of the interior, but it was a larger room than my cabin, filled with various neat furniture.
It wasn’t very luxurious, but I still felt like it had everything I needed.
“If you are going to expand to the second floor… “Are you thinking of putting a personal studio on the second floor?”
“You sure are sharp.”
“Would you like to add my own room while we’re building it?”
“… ”
When I didn’t bother to answer, Lortel smiled seductively.
“I hear jokes don’t work. Anyway, those minor expenses were covered. “You can leave it at the store.”
“No, take the money.”
“yes?”
After thinking about it a few times, I eventually handed Lortel a leather wallet filled with gold coins.
“Oh my, I didn’t know you would pay so generously. “Isn’t it a caution to save everything that can be saved?”
“I feel like I owe you something, so I plan to basically do everything I can.”
Lortel looked at me with an expression that seemed to have caught me off guard for a moment, as if he hadn’t thought I would come out like this.
Of course, he soon adjusted his expression and smiled as if he knew what I was thinking.
“If the favor continues, it feels like a right. If you are not careful about such things, it will be easy for a person to become careless.”
“Oh, that’s true, but… well.”
Lortel then spoke with a bright smile that made you think he was capable of making such an expression.
“I’m not taking any money.”
“… ?”
“It seems like we’re drawing a line because it’s too business-like, right? Normally, people who are close to each other do not borrow a few pennies and use each loan they receive.”
“Those words come out of your mouth…” ?”
Isn’t he the devil who calculates even a single gold coin neatly and chases him to the end of hell to get it?
In fact, I heard that the recovery rate for Lortel’s bonds distributed in living quarters exceeds 90%. This means that unless there are unavoidable circumstances or natural disasters, everything will be accepted.
“receive.”
“It’s okay, just a little bit of money.”
“Take it.”
“I’m not going to take it.”
There was a war of nerves between them for a while. I feel like my position has been reversed somehow.
Isn’t Lortel the one who always has to ask for money?
There is even an anecdote that she came back after receiving every penny from the Sylvanian bachelor’s side during the delivery negotiation… It was so strange that they so consistently refused to accept money.
“Senior Ed… The world is not all about money… ”
“What are you going to say?”
“The heart is more beautiful than money. Why are you trying to evaluate people’s favor with money? “It is not a good habit to put a value on everything in the world.”
Unfortunately, putting a value on everything in the world was Lortel’s specialty.
“To put it bluntly, I want to leave a debt of gratitude to senior Ed.”
“What does that mean again?”
“If I treat you so favorably and open my wallet without taking any money… Senior Ed, it remains a debt in your heart, right?”
How many complicated tricks and secret schemes did Lortel beyond the bonfire repeat at Old Deck during the vacation?
I almost clicked my tongue when I saw that he looked even more like a fox.
“That is more valuable to me, so it is the habit of people living in Sangdo to invest in more valuable things.”
“… “What happened at Old Deck?”
“… ”
Without even looking back, I went straight to the core.
Indeed, no matter how good Lortel was at speaking skills, he didn’t expect that he would hit the nail on the head like this… He seemed speechless for a moment.
Lortel, who was sitting beyond the campfire, hardened his expression for a moment, but then smiled leisurely again.
“That kind of surprise attack is not good, senior.”
“I’m just asking.”
“well. If something happened, it happened, and if it didn’t happen, it didn’t happen. “It’s a normal thing for me.”
Lortel quickly lowered his robe hat. Only then did Lortel’s hair come into full view.
The hair that flows softly down the back of the neck becomes even richer… It made Lortel look much more mature.
“While I was away, some of my so-called close associates filled my back pocket.”
“Are you saying you were betrayed?”
“Actually, it would be a bit difficult to use the dramatic expression ‘betrayal.’ Normally, this floor is full of people who will take their share and run away. “The same goes for all the people I thought were my close associates.”
Lortel continued his story while holding up one hand and rubbing his thumb and index finger together.
“No matter where you are, something happens if you leave the place for a long time. Embezzlement, information leak, damage to goods, double agent… When I returned to Alldeck after a long time, the trading floor was pretty messed up… “I just sorted things out in many ways.”
“So you were offended? “Because your employees are after you?”
“No way. Do you think I’m the type of person who would be offended by something like this?”
Certainly, there is no hidden melancholy in Lortel’s smile.
However, that is not okay, it is liberation.
I was used to being betrayed and tricked, and I just thought that was normal.
“Everyone is just trying to make a living a little more. “I used to do that often before I settled down.”
“… ”
“It’s just that after returning to Old Deck for the first time in a while and seeing such a view… I feel like I’ve become a very harmful person. At least this Aken Island… “What can I say, there is a unique romanticism to it.”
The scene of students gathering at Sylvania Academy and enjoying their studies… It definitely makes people harmful and makes the poison disappear.
It’s really not easy to maintain a steady level of venom in the meantime. People are influenced by the environment more than we think.
“I told you, Senior Ed. We are compatriots. After returning after a long time and seeing his face, I was reminded of that fact again… “I guess I got sentimental for a moment.”
“You’ve become sentimental? “What and how?”
“well. only… ”
There, Lortel blurted out a little. Maybe I don’t know how to express it?
No, it felt a little different than that.
The reason why Lortel is strangely hesitant is because he still feels aversion to the act of revealing weakness without adding or subtracting.
Because we have lived in a world where it is common sense that exposed weaknesses are taken advantage of.
However, was that feeling of rejection only temporary?
When he saw my face, he hugged his knees and spoke self-deprecatingly.
“Because there remains a strange desire to give and receive favors without conditions.”
A cold-blooded person who is hell-bent on stealing even a single gold coin from anyone’s money.
Although it was a somewhat harsh evaluation for the girl, the people in the living area always looked at Lortel that way.
However, I just shake my head to get even a penny less of my money. If we were to find the reason for the gap, it ultimately had something to do with Lortel’s lonely life.
“Well, this isn’t the first time I’ve said this… There is no need to be this embarrassed.”
“If you act like that, you’ll get caught.”
“Who? Me? Are you a senior?”
Lortel lifted his head, pointed at himself, and then began to laugh. She smiled so brightly that it felt like she was a completely different person from before.
“Ahaha, aha. Don’t worry, senior. Because I also keep the lines that I have to follow. “You don’t need to worry about that.”
“Actually, I don’t want to do that either. “I plan to accept favors as favors.”
At least from my perspective, there wasn’t much confidence I could instill in Lortel. Just do what you have to do.
“Anyway, I have to pay first. “This is a matter of my position before yours.”
“Senior, you are also very stubborn in this area. Well, I guess I can get a few pennies.”
Lortel smiled and spoke without hesitation.
“Still, what if we catch some tigers?”
“what?”
“Even if the same person is caught, the difference between being caught knowingly or not knowingly is bigger than you think.”
Lortel looked as if he had brushed off something, so it was difficult for me to respond positively.
“I’m going to catch you even if you know, so I’m telling you to speak without adding or subtracting for the time being.”
“… ”
“Let me confess, there is only one person like you around me. At least, it’s been a long time since we laughed so heartily like this.”
Lortel gently closed his eyes and felt the wind of the forest.
It seemed somewhat comfortable, so it was a bit disturbing.
“It feels good to be back on Aken Island. “It’s a much more airy and comfortable place than Old Deck.”
For a while, Lortel enjoyed the free air of Aken Island to the fullest.
“Anyway, once construction begins on the cabin, there will be no place to sleep right away.”
Belle Maia, who had roughly finished her work at the Ofilis Pavilion, took Lortel’s belongings and organized them neatly inside the villa.
Lortel seems to be accustomed to manipulating his servants. He was just sitting near the campfire and basking in the fire.
The cool autumn wind was blowing Lortel’s reddish hair.
“That’s true too. “I need to find a solution.”
“Why do you have to search so far away? “I have my villa right next to it.”
“It’s nothing to joke about. “I’m really going to end up sleeping on the street like this.”
“oh… .”
Lortel cupped his chin and then smiled seductively.
“It’s not a joke.”
“… ”
Lortel’s villa may not be huge, but it is quite spacious for Lortel to use alone.
However, there is no way you can just force yourself to live together.
“You’re not embarrassed by this. hmm… ”
“Why are you making such a sharp comment earlier?”
“I just wanted to see you embarrassed. “If you rush in like this, you might be speechless at least once, right?”
“In the first place, what would you do if I really wanted to go in and live there?”
“You don’t even want to do that, do you?”
“What if I say there is?”
Lortel laughed and straightened his clothes.
However, as I quietly watched… Immediately, my body trembled.
“… Tsk… ”
“… ”
“Really… ?”
In a world where people attack constantly, there are always people who have thin defensive walls. It is a characteristic of inexperienced people who are good at pulling but not good at pushing.
Anyway, I have no intention of doing that, but if I imagine myself going to Lortel’s villa and spending a few days, it feels oddly realistic.
When I sighed and lowered my head again, Lortel regained his composure by fanning his face for no reason. Judgment of the situation has been completed.
Lortel sighed in astonishment and took a moment to catch his breath.
And the moment I was about to say anything more…
– flutter
Lortel and I are facing each other across a campfire.
Another girl came and sat down next to her.
She was a girl who stayed in a cave-like cabin all day, hitting the walls or hitting pillows.
He must have finally come back to life, as he finally came back to his senses and sat down next to the bonfire.
“… ”
Even though more than a day has passed since the major accident, my cheeks are full of blush as if I haven’t calmed down yet.
Still, he must have heard the conversation between me and Lortel inside the cabin, and he came out with his heavy body and somehow sat down, wiggling his fingers.
Does this mean that I can’t be left alone with Lortel? It was an outing that even felt like a clear expression of will.
As for me, I was also worried about Yenika’s physical condition, as she had become a mess from rolling around in bed all day… She was even more worried about Jenica’s mental health, her cheeks flushed like a bomb ready to explode at any moment.
So, without even being able to say anything first… Only a moment of awkward silence was maintained.
“… .”
Yenica is blushing and blushing, and I am choosing my words.
Lortel, who was watching the scene from across the campfire… finally reacted.
“what.”
I couldn’t tell if he was talking to himself or if someone was telling him to listen.
“The atmosphere… Come on… ??”
