Chapter 400: Be Strong, Nicole
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 400: Be Strong, Nicole
One might not have noticed it before, but it was now clear just how beautiful and cute her face was. This was because, under the influence of Kim Yoora and her other human friends, Nicole's appearance was also gradually changing to become more human-like, similar to Blood Dagger or the clan's mistresses.
‘Cute.’
That was likely why Kim Yoora was so popular. While not fierce-looking, she possessed features considered very beautiful by human standards, like large, expressive eyes and smooth skin.
In truth, the biggest reason for Yoora's popularity was her strength and confidence, but she wouldn't have been nearly as popular if her charming looks didn't back it up.
The one sitting with Ratga was the same. Her eyes, which evoked a sense of pity, along with the wings and small horns sprouting from her head, indicated that she was a demon, just like Ratga.
She would probably grow into a great beauty. It was no wonder that Ratga, who was being raised among humans, was so attached to her. Of course, the Ratga one had seen so far wasn't the type to be swayed by looks alone, but they were certainly a positive factor.
“Nicole?”
Ratga, who was staring at her with a look of disbelief, had also grown quite a bit. She knew he had gotten bigger, but this was the first time she had consciously taken note of it.
Maybe it was because she was a goblin, but they were already about the same height. His youthful face still made it hard to see him as a man, but he had certainly changed a great deal compared to before.
Green Skins grew fast, but he had truly shot up.
“Mother… could it be that the partner you mentioned is…”
“Your guess is correct.”
“Mother…”
As expected, he hadn't anticipated her appearance; a slightly bewildered look crossed his face. Deciding it would be difficult to interject into the conversation, Nicole simply lowered her head slightly, relinquishing her turn to speak.
“This must be very sudden for Nicole, Mother.”
It was certainly startling, but not entirely bad.
“I am not telling you to decide right here and now, Ratga. She understands the situation, so there is no need to worry. Isn't that right?”
“Yes.”
As she answered quietly, she saw Ratga click his tongue, his expression one of utter bewilderment.
“Nicole is a very beautiful Green Skin, Mother. If word of this gets out, it could cause her great harm later. I'll be fine, but… I don't want her to be the subject of gossip.”
“…”
It was only natural for her face to flush. Being praised so openly was a little embarrassing. In reality, there wouldn't be any harm. No Green Skins ever confessed their feelings to her; if anything, she was on the unpopular side.
This was the first time she had been called not just pretty, but beautiful. As various thoughts raced through her mind, their conversation continued.
“Does she seem beautiful to you?”
“O-Of… course… she does.”
An unexpected answer to an unexpected question. She hastily lifted her head, only to see Ratga with his head bowed low, his face bright red. It made her feel strangely self-conscious.
Time passed as she was lost in thought. Delicious-looking dishes were served one after another, and meaningless conversation flowed.
‘This is uncomfortable.’
This kind of marriage talk was definitely uncomfortable and didn't suit her. She would have much more fun just laughing and chatting.
She had no idea how to eat the meat in front of her. She tried to imitate the others cutting their meat with a dagger and a thing called a fork, but she couldn't get the hang of it. It was so different from holding a brush; it felt alien.
Cutting with the knife wasn't a problem, but bringing the trident-like thing to her mouth felt incredibly awkward.
‘Is this how you do it?’
Jang Ye Ri, Ratga, and even Wanhee looked so natural.
‘Ugh… I just want to grab it with my hands.’
Back in the Green Skin settlement, you just opened your mouth wide and took a bite, and that was the end of the meal. Here, there were so many things to remember. She was staring at the meat, unable to understand why she had to perform such meaningless cutting, when it happened.
For a moment, her eyes met Wanhee's.
‘Huh?’
It was only for an instant, but what flashed in Wanhee's eyes was unmistakably a smirk.
‘Hm?’
Startled, she looked again, but the expression was already gone. She tried to tell herself she'd imagined it, but for some reason, the look remained etched in her mind.
She saw that expression one more time when she was drinking the soup. When she unconsciously lifted the large bowl and drank the soup straight from it, a faint smirk flickered in Wanhee's eyes again.
Of course, she couldn't be sure if it was a smirk or not. But because it was so different from the expressions Wanhee had shown until now, she couldn't help but think it was.
By the time she realized her mistake, it was too late. Jang Ye Ri patted her on the head and Ratga laughed as if he found it amusing, so Nicole just scratched the back of her head and laughed along, but Wanhee's expression was somewhat ambiguous.
‘Did I make a mistake?’
“You should eat however you're comfortable.”
“Yes, my Queen!”
Jang Ye Ri's words came at just the right moment. It wasn't a mistake. Only then did she feel her body relax.
“By the way, I haven't introduced Wanhee to you, Nicole.”
“Ah. I'll introduce myself, Young Master. We don't know yet, but we might become family. Hello. My name is Wanhee.”
Seeing a smile that seemed genuinely welcoming, Nicole nodded in response.
“Ah! Yeah. Nice to meet you! I'm Nicole, daughter of Najin of the Blood Dagger Clan.”
“You're very beautiful, Lady Nicole.”
“Hearing such a compliment is a little embarrassing. I'm not that pretty. I know that better than anyone.”
“No. To me, you look truly beautiful.”
After talking to her, she didn't seem so bad. The memory of the smirk was already fading; she thought she might have seen it wrong, or perhaps it meant something else. As time went on, the atmosphere began to feel quite comfortable.
Wanhee mostly just watched the conversation with a quiet smile, and it seemed like Nicole was the only one who was excited, but it was very enjoyable nonetheless.
A little more time passed. Nicole timidly raised her hand.
“Excuse me, the restroom…”
“You may go.”
“My Queen, may I go as well?”
“Of course.”
The one who had raised her hand was, of course, Wanhee. It was an awkward situation, not knowing whether they should go together or separately. Either choice seemed like it would be embarrassing. Of course, she didn't have to ponder for long. Wanhee spoke first.
“Let's go together, Sister.”
“Ah! Okay.”
She's not as bad as I thought. That was Nicole's assessment of Wanhee. In fact, if she had to say whether she was good or not, she would say her personality was quite good. Of course, it didn't take long for that opinion to change.
“You really seem to enjoy your food, Lady Nicole. Do you always eat like that?”
“Ah! Y-Yeah. I pretty much always eat like this. I'm not used to what humans call 'etiquette.' It was actually my first time seeing that trident-like thing, and it's most comfortable to eat with my hands. Meat tastes best when you tear it apart…”
“A trident… pfft… That's called a fork.”
“Aah. Right. Hehe… I forgot.”
Nicole swallowed nervously. She sensed that the atmosphere had turned strange. There was an odd emotion laced in Wanhee's voice. It almost seemed like a kind of jealousy. From Wanhee's perspective, a rival had suddenly appeared, so it wasn't entirely incomprehensible, but this subtle tension was still uncomfortable.
She couldn't understand why this castle was so long; she began to resent the restroom, still so far in the distance.
“Do you know that the Young Master lives in a human city?”
“Of course. That's a given. He lives with the Queen. He sometimes comes to visit the Blood Dagger Clan, but since he spends more time with humans, he seems more used to that side. But he has fun when he's here, so it's not a problem.”
“Human culture is a bit complicated, isn't it? A Green Skin who grew up normally among other Green Skins would probably find it a little uncomfortable living with humans like this.”
“Yeah… a little… no, probably a lot uncomfortable.”
“You probably shouldn't act the way you did today when there are important guests.”
“S-So that's how it was.”
“Yes, of course. But don't worry too much. If we really do end up living together, I'll teach you everything, one by one.”
“I'm not thinking about it right now, but… i-if that really happens… then I'll be counting on you.”
“Yes. By the way, Lady Nicole, in the Blood Dagger Clan…”
“Ah, I don't really do anything. I'm also waiting for my coming-of-age ceremony…”
“You seem to have a personal connection with Lord Blood Dagger?”
“A little. He's kind to all Green Skins, so I'm sure everyone has a casual acquaintance with him, but hehe… there was something between my father and the Chieftain…”
“Aah… I see.”
Feeling like she was being interrogated, Nicole swallowed again. She had felt quite at ease in the dining hall with everyone, but being alone with Wanhee like this was not comfortable at all.
Hearing only the sound of their footsteps made her even more anxious. She quickened her pace, and finally, the long-awaited restroom came into view. It was her first time in a human restroom. Thankfully, it wasn't all that different from the one in the Brother's Land.
There was a place to do her business and a place to wash her hands. It looked a little different from the one in the Brother's Land. Naturally, she was curious. When Nicole placed her hand near it, water began to flow with a whoosh.
‘It's made with magic.’
It was a little different from the Brother's Land, which used shamanism. As she stared at the sink in wonder, a voice spoke up from beside her again.
“Lady Nicole?”
“Hm?”
“I don't really mind if you become part of the family, Lady Nicole.”
“Ah… I'm not yet…”
“Lord Ratga will have many wives anyway. He might be similar to Lord Blood Dagger. If he's going to have family, it would be better if it were someone like you, Lady Nicole. Really.”
“Ah… thank… Ah!”
“Oh. My mistake. I'm sorry.”
It happened in an instant. The water Wanhee was using suddenly splashed sideways, soaking her. It wasn't a big deal since she could use shamanism to dry it. Still, she couldn't deny she was startled. Since it was a mistake, she couldn't say anything. Nicole just nodded and began to dry the damp spot. A voice that sounded genuinely apologetic followed.
“I'm so sorry, what should I do?”
“You can go back first. I'll just dry myself off. Hehe. I haven't even done my business yet…”
“Ah… yes. Then if you'll excuse me, I'll head back first.”
After roughly drying her clothes, she stepped out, but as expected, Wanhee was nowhere to be seen. She had already gone back. She wasn't entirely sure, but she felt like she was starting to understand what Jang Ye Ri meant when she called her a vixen. Just as she let out a small sigh, she heard an unexpected voice.
“Well, well, who do we have here? If it isn't Lady Nicole. Hehe. If you were coming to the East, you should have said something… Is Lady Kim Yoora doing well?”
“Wanyong?”
“Yes. It is I, Lee Wanyong.”
It was Lee Wanyong, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.