Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: Grand Princess Violet Mary Rose Marguerite
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Violet Mary Rose Marguerite, Grand Princess Highness.
On the surface, she's renowned as the epitome of a gracious and refined lady.
There are countless stories about her, but if I had to pick out only the most crucial points...
During the time when the imperial family members were stabbing each other in the back, she supported His Imperial Majesty the Emperor and performed a miraculous tightrope walk in politics—she's a goddess of intrigue.
After that, she became a human weapon, earning the qualifications of an advanced mage recognized by both the Magic Tower and the Ministry of Magic at the age of twenty.
And though it's not confirmed...
There were rumors that she was the Imperial Uncle Highness's mistress.
Would His Imperial Majesty permit a mistress? Yet, when you examine the basis for the rumors one by one, they make a surprising amount of sense, so the gossip has persisted unbroken from the early days of His Majesty's reign right up to the present.
For starters, it's suspicious that a pristine, unmarried member of the imperial family with no marriage history at all is holed up in the palace without wedlock.
An advanced mage and imperial kin? She'd be flooded with marriage proposals for political alliances.
Well... how could a lowly noble like me presume to understand the will of the imperial family?
Even Father never speaks carelessly about Grand Princess Highness's affairs. If someone like me, an outsider, starts flapping my gums, my head would part ways with my body.
But right now, none of that mattered to me—whether Grand Princess Highness was this or that, or scheming to "go Solomon" with His Imperial Majesty and Imperial Uncle Highness.
What mattered was why someone who had secluded herself in the palace for ten years had suddenly summoned me.
And judging by the antique bed next to the tea table where Grand Princess Highness sat so regally, this was her bedroom.
Just the fact that I'd met Grand Princess Highness alone would set the empire's nobles buzzing—but in her bedroom?
One wrong move here, and I could really die.
"Gulp..."
No wonder Elizabeth had been acting so strangely...
Grand Princess Highness making a sudden appearance was no different from a decade-old landmine coming to find you herself. Of course she'd be worried.
"Howard Baron."
"Yes, Your Highness. Please speak."
"Don't keep sitting on the floor like that. Sit here. I've called you because I want to have a comfortable chat with you."
As I waited with trembling heart for Grand Princess Highness's words, she pointed to the chair opposite her, inviting me to sit.
"Yes, thank you, Your Highness."
I gave a slight bow of gratitude, then rose from my seat with my head lowered and approached the tea table.
As I drew near, the chair slid back on its own, teacups flew through the air to land on the table, and the teapot floated buoyantly, waiting.
"Wow..."
This was the telekinesis I'd only heard about in stories.
It was so impressive I wanted to clap, but fearing it'd come off as frivolous, I held back and took my seat.
"This tea is fine for you, yes?"
"Yes, I have no preferences."
At Grand Princess Highness's urging, I—a man who could shove anything into his mouth short of pickled herring—nodded confidently with a smile.
"Good. This is tea I truly enjoy. I hope it suits your taste as well."
"Anyone would love tea enjoyed by Grand Princess Highness."
"Hee hee~"
Pleased by my response, she let out a light laugh, her lips curving up as she flicked her wrist to tilt the teapot.
A reddish-brown liquid poured from the spout, filling the teacup to the brim.
The tea swirled in the cup, its aroma tickling my nose.
Sweet fruit scents, smoky oak barrel notes, and boldly leading them all, the sharp sting of alcohol piercing into my nostrils...
"?"
Oak barrel? Alcohol?
"Your Highness, if I may be so bold... isn't this alcohol?"
"No, it's not."
Grand Princess Highness denied it outright, but the alcohol scent was unmistakable.
Thinking maybe I'd mis-smelled it, I brought my nose close to the cup and inhaled deeply, only for the alcohol to hit even clearer.
"No, even smelling it closely, it's clea—"
"It's tea made from grapes."
"......"
Her absurd sophistry made my head spin.
Speechless and unable to continue, I watched her eyes narrow.
"Or are you saying you don't want to drink tea that I poured for you myself?"
"N-no, not at all!"
Realizing from her icy tone that I'd reacted very wrongly, I immediately lifted the cup to my lips and gulped down the fermented grape brew.
Hot, stinging, bitter, with alcohol burning my nose.
"Urk..."
Not leaving a drop, I drained it all and set the cup down, suppressing the urge to vomit.
Feeling my stomach churning vividly, I knew I was done for.
This had a higher proof than most distilled spirits.
"Ha, haha... Whoever brewed it did a splendid job... The taste and aroma will linger in my mind even after I return home."
But forcing a smile, I praised it as if it were excellently brewed tea.
"Hee hee~ You drink it with such youthful gusto. Would you like another?"
My praise apparently too much, as a pleased Grand Princess Highness brought the teapot toward the cup again.
"No, this is plenty..."
I waved my hands in alarm, but my words didn't matter.
"You need more, right?"
"Ah..."
The teapot was already tilting, brown liquid trickling out to refill the empty cup.
"Drink up."
"Thank you..."
Tears nearly welled up at Grand Princess Highness's kindness in filling it to the point where surface tension showed.
"No need to down it in one this time."
"Yes."
"Of course, I did quite enjoy your bold display."
It was more suggestion than command to down it.
"......"
I gripped the cup with trembling hands.
My vision shook violently.
Dizziness from fear making my eyes quiver—for the first time.
I have to drink it, right...?
No, I must.
To avoid displeasing Grand Princess Highness, I must.
"Hoo, huu..."
"Stop."
As I steeled myself and raised the cup, a pale, delicate hand intervened above it.
"Your Highness?"
"Your face is already flushing, so no need for more. Don't push yourself. I want to speak with you in full possession of your senses."
"Th-thank you...?"
Something felt contradictory in her words, but I offered thanks for the mercy of stopping at one cup.
"......"
"......"
And conversation halted immediately.
She needed to say something first for me to respond or nod along, but with her lips firmly shut, staring at me silently, the atmosphere froze in an instant.
What?
What did I do wrong now?
Or is this some kind of test...?
If not that, then...
I don't know.
"Huu..."
I needed to think fast and grasp the situation.
But with my heart pounding from tension, the alcohol rushed up quickly, my mind growing foggy.
All I could do now was sit still to avoid more mistakes.
"......"
Thus, lips sealed and seated, as my vision swam and fingers and toes began to tingle...
- Clink.
After a few minutes, Grand Princess Highness finally moved. She lightly moistened her lips with the teacup, snapped her fingers to slide the table aside, and elegantly crossed her legs.
"Now that the alcohol has circulated in you a bit, let's begin our talk."
"Yesss..."
She'd said she wanted to talk with a clear mind, but now that the booze had hit, it was time to chat?
What was she thinking?
Was she just tormenting me?
"Howard Baron."
"Yesss... Your Highness..."
"Do you know what talent is needed to wield telekinesis superbly?"
Torment confirmed.
Head spinning, and now hard topics? Definitely torment.
Ha... these rotten imperial folks, always picking on me...
"I don't knowww..."
Rather than wrack my dizzy brain pointlessly, I shook my head honestly.
Truth be told, even stone-cold sober, I'd never studied magic, so no clue.
All I knew of telekinesis was moving things without touching them.
"The most important thing in using telekinesis is the ability to read spacetime. Especially for directions defying gravity, that ability is crucial."
"Ahh~ Spacetimeee..."
Arts major here, so no idea, but mentioning gravity and spacetime reminded me of a video with a steel ball on a trampoline-like rubber sheet, spacetime warping this and that.
Leading to light bending and black holes—too hard, I didn't get it.
In my past life and here, my brain rejected science beyond high school level...
"Ugh... hate it..."
Damn STEM nerds, talking their insider lingo.
Why not make science easy for humanities folks like me?
Infuriating.
"William Henry Howard."
"Yesss, Your Highneeess..."
"What is your true identity?"
"... Yeees?"
Didn't I introduce myself...?
No, I definitely gave my name and title at the start.
"William, Henry Howaaard... second son of Hume Margrave... and I hold a baronyyy..."
"Ha."
Her face twisting harshly as she let out a short scoff, Grand Princess Highness snapped her fingers again.
"Hiiik...!?"
My limbs felt seized, my body glued to the chair like it'd been coated in adhesive.
"Y-Your Highneeeess? What's this su—"
"I asked what your true identity is."
"Yes...?"
I had no idea what answer she wanted.
"William Henry Howaaard... a citizen of the empireee..."
"Don't play word games with me!"
"Eek...!"
Grand Princess Highness bellowed suddenly, snapping me sober in an instant.
With wide eyes and head craned back, peeking at her expression, she glared at me fiercely and declared,
"You're not a person of this world."
"......"
Eh, what?
"Hic... "
How did she know...?