Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Feigned Insolence
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“Traits? They’re not important. No, they are.”
But even more important than that are bloodline and power, right?
What good is being born with a powerful and rare Trait?
If your origins are lowly beastkin stock, you’ll never reach the level of my feet.
That’s what Ceria thought.
Anyone would think the same.
If forced to choose between the most brilliant Trait imaginable and one member of the Teterian Empire’s imperial family, anyone would covet that position.
That’s what power is.
It’s stronger to hold in your hand the one who wields a mighty sword than the sword itself.
‘So, Adelrian. You’ll have to become the sacrificial lamb.’
He might have the most worthless Trait of anyone, but his family is powerful enough—there’s no better offering.
That’s what she’d thought when she arranged this meeting.
But Ceria now realized she’d been far too complacent.
“I’m a busy man, you see, and you’re holding me back.”
The sight of Adelrian’s face, smiling so smugly and languidly, twisted her stomach with rage.
How dare he.
“So let’s wrap this up quickly. Our little issue.”
That nonchalant expression. Treating a conversation with her like this?
“Truth be told, I’m the one taking a loss here, you know.”
At that loathsome grin, Ceria learned for the first time what it meant to have her nape seize up.
Unconsciously, one hand clutched at her neck, kneading it as a sigh escaped her lips.
“Ha? What’s that supposed to mean, Young Master Adelrian?”
“As Your Highness well knows, I’m set to inherit the Kruger family just by sitting on my hands. Unlike some people.”
Adelrian placed a hand on his chest, nose in the air with smug pride, and Ceria’s eyes twitched upward in disgust at how repulsive he looked.
“…Unlike some people? Unlike who, exactly?”
“Isn’t that right? They haven’t officially named a crown prince or princess yet, have they?”
If glares could kill, Adelrian’s body would have been stabbed dozens, hundreds of times, left a shredded mess.
No one had ever dared say such a thing outright in front of her, so Ceria’s face drained from flushed red to ghostly pale.
‘I’ll never let him live. No matter what, I’ll make him writhe in agony, begging on all fours….’
“Imagine if someone like me got engaged to Your Highness. Honestly, with the family head position already in my grasp, why bother… unless there’s some fitting compensation?”
In that instant, the fragile thread of reason she’d clung to snapped, and Ceria shot to her feet.
“You insolent fool! Adelrian!”
“My goodness, we’re on a first-name basis already?”
Infuriating!
Her wide eyes and hand over her mouth—if she’d been holding a fan, anyone would mistake her for some scheming socialite flower plotting intrigue.
In that moment, every scenario and plan she’d prepared crumbled.
She’d planned to drop a hint on their first meeting, then meet a few more times during the period for shaping public opinion, gradually bringing him under her thumb.
But on the very first encounter, Adelrian bulldozed in so rudely and arrogantly that her paper-thin patience shattered.
“I know how you feel.”
“What would a wretch like you know?”
As Adelrian grinned and spoke, Ceria—imagining summoning guards and impaling him on a spear without a second thought—barely held back and spat venomously.
“The feelings of someone with a worthless Trait?”
“Ha? What are you talking about?”
There was one reason the Teterian imperial family hadn’t publicly revealed the Traits of this generation’s royals.
To set an example by reducing discrimination based on Traits.
Of course, everyone in the empire, including the royals, knew it was just wordplay, but there’s a world of difference between acknowledging it and denying it.
‘Traits are nothing. I’ll have one soon enough. And even if not, joining hands with that Holy Faith Church or whatever….’
It might not be there now, but it would fall into her hands eventually—so claiming she had it now wouldn’t make it a lie.
Ceria opened her mouth confidently.
“Are you presuming to distrust me and the Teterian imperial family, Young Master Adelrian? The reason for not announcing Traits is perfectly clear, isn’t it?”
“Oh, sure. My mistake.”
Not looking sorry in the slightest, he prompted Ceria to smile more radiantly than ever.
“You know the imperial family has summary judgment authority, right?”
“That depends on the person. Don’t you think?”
Does rage invading the brain turn it to laughter instead?
Ceria raised a hand to cover her lips with the back of it, chuckling softly.
“You think it’s fine to insult me like this?”
“Oh, come on, why get so petty, Your Highness? Let’s just call off the engagement then.”
“Petty?”
As Adelrian kept needling her to the end, murderous intent flickered in Ceria’s eyes—that instant, Adelrian dropped his smirk and whispered low.
“You know, right? My father divided up Siren’s interests with someone else.”
“…And?”
“What I’m saying is, I wanted to partner with you from the start. I’ve got my own circumstances, so I couldn’t say it outright. But as a gift instead.”
A clever princess like you must know what I mean, right?
Whispering that low, Adelrian pulled from his bosom a statue of a woman with half-lidded eyes.
In that moment, Ceria’s sharp gaze swept over his two distant escorts.
‘No way… overseers? Well, makes sense. No way they’d assign elite guards with perception-disrupting magic just for a wastrel like him.’
The Kruger family had insisted on handling security themselves in the family’s name and refused to lift the magic—so she’d wondered.
If they weren’t regular escorts for the wastrel Adelrian, but monitors…
Ceria’s mind raced, then she eyed the grinning Adelrian and snatched the statue he offered.
“…So you want to ally with me personally?”
“Well, I have to follow the family’s will, of course. But as individuals. Still, the First Princess is the best choice, don’t you think…? Something like that. That statue? It’s insanely expensive. Dragon-blood infused drake tooth, they say.”
Drake tooth? A statue no bigger than a child’s forearm, worth at least a small castle.
The Krugers, as expected.
Ceria gazed at him with softened eyes and spoke.
“Then the reason for your rudeness is…?”
“As perceptive as you are, it’s exactly what you’re thinking.”
Ceria and Adelrian stared at each other and smiled slowly.
“Understood, then?”
“Aaah! Adelrian!”
After exchanging a single glance with Adelrian, Ceria clutched her nape and staggered as if collapsing.
* * *
What does she know.
Maybe it’s because she was raised more delicately than Verut. Even her acting is fake as hell.
Plus, with the elite education royals get, she thinks she’s smart, but her Traits tell the story—she’s mediocre at best.
Excluding sealed Traits like [Sealed (SS)], [Arrogance (S)], [Cruelty (A)], her prominent ones are just [Diligence (B+)], [Drawing (B)].
In short, Ceria’s talents are virtually nil outside her well-sealed ones.
‘Knowing that, she must’ve lashed out, sealing her siblings’ talents and allying with the Evil God Cult.’
“Done?”
“Done.”
As I walked out, leaving Ceria feigning her collapse behind, Rachel sidled up and asked, so I nodded.
“Aw….”
“Hmm.”
Aw? Hmm? These two were secretly hoping for drama.
I wanted to smack both their heads, but we were still in the palace, so I kept my mouth sweet.
“You two would love it if I became, what? A public enemy of the empire or continent?”
“Gasp, you will?”
At my words, Rachel clasped her hands to her chest like her heart was fluttering.
Wow. That violence addict.
“Don’t worry.”
And Cain, who’d never side with them.
“Wow, you guys really.”
“Touching, right? You know it.”
“Even if the gods turn against you, we won’t.”
Hearing just the lines with those faces, it’s like some emotional cutscene.
I opened my mouth with the most bored expression.
“Don’t talk like you’re in some shady conspiracy, seriously.”
They’re thrilled at the thought of using me as bait to fight, huh?
I dragged the giggling Rachel and Cain into the carriage.
Even with Cain’s mana barrier blocking eavesdropping, it still felt iffy inside the palace.
The moment we galloped out, I stretched out in the carriage and loosened my clothes.
“Ah. Tired without doing a damn thing.”
“Jerky?”
What, the old, gamey jerky Luna specially packed for Rachel?
I gestured for her to eat it all and sprawled across the entire long bench. Then I looked up at Rachel and Cain sitting opposite.
“How was the mood?”
“As expected.”
Even if I couldn’t see them, it was the imperial palace—shadows protecting Ceria and eyes watching me would’ve been there.
Truth be told, Rachel and Cain’s looks are too striking, so I’d considered using a cube to randomize appearances at first.
But it got nixed for messing with body balance subtly, so we went with perception-lowering badges plus guaranteeing identities under the family name.
“The smoothest outcome of what we expected.”
“That girl was way less impressive than I thought. I figured she’d go off the rails more after that confinement stunt last time.”
“Well, back then she thought she had ways to make me submit.”
The continent’s mightiest empire. Entangled with the Teterian royals, I’d imagined all sorts of things.
“But it means the imperial family’s stable right now.”
At my words, Rachel shrugged, and Cain just stared silently.
I’d strutted in boasting nothing would happen, no way royals would play dirty—and nearly got confined and brainwashed. But hey? Cain wasn’t there, so no comeback!
My strongest sword wasn’t around when I was in danger—tit for tat.
“So what was with that statue and the vague talk?”
“What else? A trap.”
People are like that. They see and hear what they want.
It’s called confirmation bias.
Today, I acted completely out of line, rude as hell, but ended by seeming like I wanted to side with Ceria in secret.
Illogical moves no sane person would make.
But I guarantee—if I’d handled her logically and coherently, she’d suspect me more.
‘I’m Adelrian, after all.’
Heaven’s biggest idiot wastrel. Talentless trash.
A blowhard with nothing but his family to leech off.
Me chatting smoothly, acting buddy-buddy?
‘Sounds like he got a script.’
Better to be full of holes and flaws. Ceria will fill them with her imagination.
Otaku do it too. Sloppy work? They assign meaning anyway. People are all like that.
“She’ll mull over my last line more than my earlier antics. And that’s the trap.”
“The statue too?”
Cain asked, and I grinned, nodding.
“Looks like just a pricey trinket. An artifact most couldn’t appraise. But Ceria’s a princess, right?”
Idiot Adelrian wants Ceria coin, but Kruger head Kaiman chose Shihad—or so she thinks.
She’ll inspect it thoroughly for bugs, curses, bombs. And find out.
“Man, handing over such a nasty artifact like that. Classic you!”
Rachel cackled.
Most artifacts swiped from gambler Valbus were appraised by Rachel.
Even brainless Rachel, being a dragon, has reliable eyes for artifacts.
‘And the one I gave her is the continental Monkey’s Paw.’
Grants empty wishes, but at devastating cost—an artifact.
I slowly curled my lips upward.