Chapter 401: Be Strong, Nicole
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 401: Be Strong, Nicole
“Is this your first time in the East? I’m so disappointed. If you had contacted me beforehand, I would have prepared a small welcome for you.”
A look of profound regret washed over his face. I hadn’t spent that much time with Lee Wanyong, but we did have memories together. Of course, calling them “memories” might be a bit of a stretch.
‘Hehe. Lady Nicole, I’ve brought another precious item today.’
‘Lady Nicole, you will one day become a great pillar of the Blood Dagger Clan. I’ll be counting on you and Lady Kim Yoora in the future.’
‘I’ve brought new painting pigments, Lady Nicole! You can’t lose to the young Green Skins from the other clans!’
It seemed that whenever something significant happened, Lee Wanyong would appear out of nowhere.
‘Isn’t today the anniversary of his passing?’
‘Eh… How did you…’
‘As a member of the Blood Dagger Clan, it would be wrong to forget him. Your grief must be great. Please accept this. Your mother will be pleased if you give it to her.’
‘Th-thank you, Wanyong.’
He had even remembered the anniversary of my father Najin’s death. In that sense, I suppose you could say we were close. Most of our interactions involved me receiving something from him, but if those were memories, then they were memories all the same. It was only natural that I was happy to see him.
Come to think of it, I’d never given him anything; I only had memories of receiving things. Feeling a pang of guilt, Nicole swallowed and spoke again.
“It was all so sudden, I couldn’t help it. I’m sorry I couldn’t contact you. My coming-of-age ceremony is just around the corner… Anyway, you look well, Wanyong. Has something good been happening lately?”
“Yes. For some reason, things have been going very well… I believe it’s because Lord Blood Dagger has graced the East with his visit. By the way, Lady Nicole, I heard the news. About the war with the undead… I was so busy, I couldn’t visit you in the Brother’s Land. I am truly sorry.”
“Ah… It’s no problem. He is resting peacefully again… Thank you for your concern.”
He really wasn’t a bad guy. As Nicole watched him for a moment, his voice reached her again.
“Are you also here on Lord Blood Dagger’s orders, Lady Nicole?”
“You could say that, but the situation is a little complicated… It was less Lord Blood Dagger’s order and more a summons from Lady Jang Ye Ri.”
As I scratched my cheek and gave a slight smile, a curious expression flickered across Wanyong’s face. It wasn’t a secret, so there was no harm in telling him, but I felt a little embarrassed to say it. The mere thought of a betrothal was just so… absurd.
“For what purpose…?”
His face showed he couldn’t bear the curiosity. In the end, Nicole scratched the back of her head and hesitantly began to speak.
“Hehe… Actually, I’m here because of a betrothal with Ratga. It’s not decided yet, and I’m not really set on it either, but my mother said it would be a good idea to at least meet him… Lady Jang Ye Ri recommended it, too… I’m still thinking about it, but… it’s a bit overwhelming. I mean, Ratga is still so young…”
After I finished speaking, I glanced at Wanyong and saw a flicker of bewilderment on his face. To be more precise, it would be more accurate to say he looked a little tense.
“Ah…”
“That’s why I’m dressed like this. I’m not used to it, but…”
“I-I see. No wonder you looked a little different than usual… Then, does that mean in that room right now…”
“I was in the middle of a meal with Ratga, the Queen of the East, and a demon named Wanhee. I just stepped out for a moment…”
“I-I see. Was there anything… uncomfortable that happened?”
“It was a little uncomfortable, but…”
“R-Really?”
His expression crumpled. The atmosphere felt heavy, as if it were difficult for him to speak. As Nicole swallowed dryly, Wanyong spoke again.
“Would you mind telling me what happened inside? In a little more detail, if you would.”
“I have to go back in now…”
“It’s alright. You can just tell me briefly on the way back.”
He looked anxious. Of course, it wasn’t as if nothing had been uncomfortable. I did think Wanhee’s behavior was a bit rude, but her actions could be seen as nothing more than the childish jealousy of a one-year-old, so I was hesitant to even bring it up. No, it was more accurate to say I didn’t think it was a topic worth discussing. It was something I could laugh off, and I felt it would be foolish to even care.
“It was… nothing, really…”
“Lady Nicole, I beg you. If there is anything at all that is bothering you, please tell me. It’s fine even if you think it’s trivial.”
But I couldn’t just ignore Wanyong, who kept pressing for an answer. Nicole let out a small sigh and continued.
“The truth is…”
“The truth is?”
“The girl who was originally intended to be Ratga’s fiancée was a little… difficult.”
“D-Did she make some kind of mistake?”
“Ah! It wasn’t a mistake, of course. It might just be my misunderstanding, but I got the feeling she was sort of mocking me… I think she looked down on me a little for not knowing human etiquette. She even said she would be sure to teach me later… But seeing as she said she hoped a Green Skin like me would become Ratga’s partner if he were to have one, I don’t think she’s a bad person. Other than that, everything was fine. You don’t need to worry.”
“....................”
I felt a little ashamed, as if I were tattling. It wasn’t in Nicole’s nature to talk about such things. I only told him because he asked, but it was enough to make me feel an unexplainable guilt, as if I were talking behind someone’s back.
When I lifted my head slightly, Wanyong’s expression was a mixture of bewilderment and anxiety. I had never imagined he would take it so seriously, and I instinctively avoided his gaze.
“Was… was there anything else, Lady Nicole?”
“Ah…”
“Please, tell me even the most trivial detail.”
“W-Well.”
“I’m begging you.”
“It’s… it’s nothing, really… Other than her splashing a little water on me in the washroom…”
“Now that you mention it, I can see faint traces of a spell. It… doesn’t look like just a little splash…”
“Well, she did splash quite a bit, but… she said it was a mistake…”
Wanyong’s expression contorted even further. I had only mentioned a simple mistake, but his reaction made me realize just how much he must have thought of me. It was only natural to feel grateful to Wanyong for being so concerned about something that wasn’t even his problem. Just as I was muttering to myself that I should repay him later, an unexpected voice cut in.
“I-I am truly sorry, Lady Nicole.”
“Huh? Wanyong, you have nothing to be sorry for.”
“Th-that’s… The thing is, that girl, Wanhee… is my daughter.”
“Wha-wha-wha-wha-what?!”
The news was quite a shock. Now that he mentioned it, I could see a slight resemblance. Their faces weren’t that similar, but more than anything, their eyes looked alike. I was suddenly flustered. It would be strange not to feel that way when the father of the person I had just spoken ill of was standing right in front of me.
“But Wanyong, you’re human, ah! No, a Doppelganger… Ah! Th-that’s not it! I wasn’t saying Wanhee is a bad person. She just seems to like Ratga so much that she was a little jealous of me suddenly appearing. I didn’t mean it in a bad way… She was a good kid. I think she was even looking out for me in her own way… And she seemed to really like Ratga…”
I tried my best to smooth things over, but it felt like the ship had already sailed. I didn’t want this to blow up into some kind of incident. I wanted to let it pass quietly, but the twisted expression on Wanyong’s face showed no signs of returning to normal.
“This cannot be overlooked. Once again, I apologize, Lady Nicole.”
“Well, it’s really fine to overlook it…”
“It may be rude to Lady Jang Ye Ri, but I must go inside with you, Lady Nicole.”
“There’s no need for that! Wanyong!”
“No. You just need to stay still, Lady Nicole. The fault is mine for failing to raise my child properly. I don’t know how I can ever apologize…”
“No, that’s not it… She definitely said it was a mistake… And I’m sure there was no malice. The child is still young…”
I had a feeling this was getting out of hand. This was absolutely not what Nicole wanted.
“She said it was a mistake, Wanyong… So you don’t need to worry about it.”
“No, Lady Nicole. It was likely not a mistake. I don’t know the details, but since the child was born with Lord Blood Dagger’s blessing, her way of thinking is a bit more mature than other Green Skins her age. It’s nothing to brag about, but she is an exceptionally smart child. It’s impossible for her to make such a basic mistake.”
“She did seem mature for her age, but…”
“It’s embarrassing to admit, but she’s also a bit cunning, having been influenced by my wife and me. I let it be because her affection for Lord Ratga was so great, but as her father, I cannot stand by and watch her commit such a wrong. I thought something was amiss since it hasn’t been long since she started thinking for herself, but…”
“This isn’t what I wanted…”
“No. If we had let this go, something much worse could have happened. In fact, I am grateful to you, Lady Nicole, for speaking so candidly.”
Wanyong strode purposefully toward the dining room. It was obvious that if he went inside now, there would be trouble. I looked up at him with an anxious expression, but nothing changed. His mind was already made up.
As a tangle of complicated thoughts filled my head, Wanyong had already reached the front of the dining room.
“Lady Jang Ye Ri! It is Lee Wanyong. May I enter for a moment?”
‘N-No… This can’t be happening.’
This was bad. I couldn’t think of it any other way. From inside, I could hear Jang Ye Ri’s voice, along with those of Wanhee and Ratga.
“Hmm… If it’s just for a moment, you may enter.”
Slowly, the door began to open. My eyes fell upon Jang Ye Ri, who for some reason was smirking, Ratga, who looked curious, and Wanhee, whose mouth was agape at the sudden appearance of her father.
“Father?”
“What is it? As you can see, we are in the middle of a meal, so I’d appreciate it if you state your business briefly and leave. Nicole, you’re a little late.”
“Ah! Yes…”
I was still anxious. The Queen of the East kept smirking, as if she thought Wanyong had brought some good news, but I couldn’t get used to the serious expression on his face, which I had never seen before.
“Father? What’s going on? And you’re with the Gobl—no, with Lady Nicole…”
“Be quiet, Wanhee.”
“What is all this…?”
Ratga, too, was surveying the situation with a look of bewilderment. My big mouth.I shouldn’t have said anything. Just as I was thinking that, Wanyong’s lips slowly began to part.