𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭
After watching Alice Norchev disappear behind the door, I prepare another round of tea and place it before everyone.
ㅤ
“Thank you, Chris.”
ㅤ
Despite Linus-sama being of noble blood, he always takes the time to say thank you.
Knowing it’s impolite, I still find myself staring at Linus-sama. Now that I’m calm, I have to ask.
ㅤ
“What is the situation here? All of you seem captivated by a lady of no particular note. I can’t imagine why.”
ㅤ
I pause, awaiting Linus-sama’s response.
Linus-sama looks at me with straightforward eyes.
ㅤ
“I find Alice. . . Miss Norchev, very. . . appealing.”
ㅤ
At those words, a jolt runs through me as if I’ve been struck on the head.
ㅤ
Alice Norchev. I’ve heard she’s the impoverished daughter of a Viscount family and was working in the kitchen for the Fourth Knight Order.
She was, admittedly, a somewhat peculiar girl. She always treated even the maids respectfully, as fellow human beings. A trait of lower nobility, perhaps.
I want to believe that her unique nature was simply intriguing due to her being the only woman in the knight order.
ㅤ
“I have a fiancée. . . I know. I plan to break off the engagement someday, but if that doesn’t work out, I intend to marry Emilia and take responsibility. However. . . if I’m allowed. . .”
“A marriage between a royal prince and a Viscount’s daughter is unrealistic!. . . No, I’m wrong. Given Linus-sama’s position, you could force it through, like your mother did.”
ㅤ
Linus-sama falls silent, his face tormented. The repercussions of a mismatched marriage are something Linus-sama knows all too well.
Linus-sama should understand better than anyone that a marriage with Alice Norchev, who is even lower in status than his own mother, would never go off without a hitch.
ㅤ
“Alice Norchev also seems to think highly of you, Linus-sama. You should set the record straight about the class difference now.”
“Miss Norchev doesn’t know I am Linus Royalcrow.”
“. . .What?”
ㅤ
I inadvertently let out a dumbfounded noise.
ㅤ
“She doesn’t know? How could that be. . .”
“She doesn’t. I concealed my identity and explained the situation. I’ve been interacting with her under the alias Roa. I gambled she wouldn’t recognize my true self because we had met once before. . . but she didn’t.”
ㅤ
For some reason, Linus-sama smiles gently.
ㅤ
“Probably because I’m a prince, Miss Norchev didn’t look me in the face when speaking. Even after I removed the transformation artifact, she made a face as if she felt she’d seen me somewhere but couldn’t recall where. . . Then quickly, her expression turned to one of disappointment.”
“Disappointed? About what?”
“She said she was disappointed because I was good-looking. Miss Norchev seems to have an aversion to handsome men.”
ㅤ
I don’t understand.
She has met Linus-sama and didn’t recognize him? As a noble, she’s never had the opportunity to see Linus-sama’s portrait before?
Is it because she’s low-ranking. . . or perhaps. . .
ㅤ
. . .Is it because she had no interest since Linus-sama is too good-looking?
ㅤ
“Even though Linus-sama has changed the color of his eyes, his face remains the same! If you see his noble visage, you should realize how venerable he is! It would be strange not to notice!”
“The strange young lady in question is Miss Norchev. Far from being a lady, she doesn’t even think like a noble. She has her own unique thoughts.”
“That is. . .”
ㅤ
. . .Indeed, it did make me think.
ㅤ
I am cross-dressing, and the first thing she asked about was the nature of my soul.
Even though I am a man who enjoys wearing women’s clothes, or there are people whose body and mind are of different genders, these things come to mind easily if you think about it.
Alice Norchev wasn’t asking to mock me. She was asking to know how to treat me.
ㅤ
“That’s why. . .I am drawn to her.”
ㅤ
Linus-sama’s words softly fell in the quiet room, spreading like ripples on water.
ㅤ
“The reason I chose to face Dyson as an enemy is thanks to Miss Norchev. Though she doesn’t say it openly, I think she has probably been hurt by men in her life. Yet she doesn’t become bitter; she works in a knights’ order with men for the sake of her family and always remains optimistic. I find Miss Norchev’s way of being. . .admirable.”
ㅤ
Everyone else seems to agree, judging by their faces.
ㅤ
“So, whoever Miss Norchev chooses, I won’t be jealous.”
ㅤ
Arthur-sama deliberately made a playful shrug.
ㅤ
“If I could, I’d like to marry Miss Norchev, so I won’t give her up easily. She accepts my personality, exchanges jokes with me, and even teaches me new puns. She’s a wonderful lady.”
ㅤ
Edgardo-sama stood up.
ㅤ
“I, I feel the same! Miss Alice naturally accepts the core part of me that I thought was unnecessary. I am. . .hoping that I can marry Miss Alice.”
ㅤ
Edgardo-sama’s face is completely red.
Noticing that Rolf-sama is smiling at his innocent demeanor, Edgardo-sama glares at him while still being red.
ㅤ
“What about you, Rolf?”
“Me? I. . .didn’t have a trigger or anything, like it’s all thanks to Alice or something. I just. . .realized at some point that Alice had a room in my heart.”
ㅤ
Rolf-sama’s words somehow struck a chord in my heart.
The sweet and sour love he talks about, despite appearing to be the most accustomed to playing around among us, has a certain gap that intrigues me.
ㅤ
Rene-sama, who was naturally the last one to draw attention, had a subtle expression.
ㅤ
“I still want to spend time honing my knightly skills rather than thinking about marriage or love. Like the shoes that can gouge out the enemy’s eyes that we talked about earlier. . .I think those are very Alice-like, and I like that.”
ㅤ
Rene-sama, smiling softly, looked as beautiful as a painting.
ㅤ
“So, I’m still not sure. But it’s true that I’m curious about Alice, so let’s leave it as undecided for now! Take care!”
ㅤ
In this atmosphere and flow, Rene-sama managed to clearly state what he wanted to say.
Without becoming servile or oppressive, he communicated his feelings without making anyone uncomfortable. Contrary to his cute appearance, he gives a sense of grit.
ㅤ
Linus-sama, after hearing the opinions of everyone who should be his romantic rivals despite being his aides, showed a smile.
ㅤ
“I’m pleased that we’ve been able to share our feelings here. However, our primary focus now must be on dealing with Dyson. We’ll set aside matters concerning Miss Norchev for now.”
ㅤ
Ah, as expected of Linus-sama. You’re not overly infatuated with the opposite sex, it seems. I’m relieved.
ㅤ
“Now that you’re my close advisors, our top priority is to prevent the usurpation of the throne. However, if anyone among us were to fall in love with Miss Norchev, let’s vow not to hold grudges or anger against each other.”
ㅤ
They exchange glances and nod in agreement.
ㅤ
“So, make sure to rest when you can. We’ll be busy again starting tomorrow.”
ㅤ
With those words from Linus-sama, the atmosphere suggests the meeting is adjourned.
ㅤ
“Excuse me, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
ㅤ
Everyone probably felt as if they were lifted a few centimeters off the ground.
There was Alice Norchev, peeking just her face through the door of the private room. I listen as calmly as possible.
ㅤ
“I thought you’d already gone to bed. How long have you been there?”
“Just now. When I opened the door, Roa-sama said it was time to rest, and the conversation seemed to be concluding, so I spoke up.”
“Is there something you need?”
“I had forgotten that I’m still holding onto Edgardo-sama’s magic bag. I’ve also put a lot of my personal items in there, including some cake, so I thought I should return it sooner rather than later.”
“. . .Thank you.”
ㅤ
Edgardo-sama walks over and takes the magic bag.
ㅤ
“Goodnight, this time for sure. Sorry for the disturbance.”
ㅤ
The door closes, and the tension breaks.
“. . .Really, it’s hard on the heart. . .”
ㅤ
While it seemed that Linus-sama’s words held multiple meanings, I decided not to inquire further.
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- The “I’m So Deep in This Light Novel I’m Living It” Blues: When Your Waifu Gets NTR’d and You’re Not Even Mad (But Kind of Are)
- Scrolling Through Reddit: “My dog got into the Chinese take-out before I did”
- Do Your Gym Bros Think You’re a Weirdo? (Secret Signs You’re the Gym Oddball)
- Cat vs Dog in a Post-Mortem Snack Showdown
- Kakashi and Obito: Bro-mance or True Love? Unraveling the Mystery of Naruto’s Most Epic Duo
Leave a Reply