Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: No Conscience
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Imperial ball.
For young men, it was a place to confirm their love or kindle a new romance.
For kids like me, it was about building social graces and scouting future partners.
At least, that's how it was billed.
"...Wow. Look at these letters."
Clue narrowed her eyes at the mountain of envelopes.
"Young master, is it really okay to get this many letters?"
"..."
I just stared at the pile in silence, surprised by how many there were.
"First, let's check if any of them have poison on them—"
Before I could finish, a hand shot out from behind me.
A massive surge of holy power enveloped the letters.
"That takes care of all the poison and curses."
Isfil, who'd dumped an absurd amount of holy power into them, stood there with her arms crossed, eyeing the stack.
Why does she look so annoyed?
"Anyway. Shall we read some letters?"
"Sure."
"Clue, let me know if it gets tiring. Your jaw might ache."
"Homunculi don't get jaw aches."
Neat trick.
As I marveled at that, Clue tore open a letter and started reading.
"Dearest Prince Theodor. I fell in love with you the moment I first laid eyes on you."
"Oh."
"I can't sleep at night thinking of you, Prince Theodor."
"Ooh."
"Though I'm turning thirty this year, please take care of me."
"...Oh?"
"I believe age is just a number. Please accept my heart—"
"Stop there."
"Yes, sir."
Riiip. Clue tore the letter in half.
"She's really thirty?"
"Who knows? Want to verify?"
"Who do we even ask?"
"We could ask His Majesty..."
"Got a death wish?"
If Mom found out, she'd probably sharpen her knives while cursing a storm.
"Next letter."
"Yes, sir."
Clue pulled out another one and began reading.
"Prince Theodor, come to the ball with me."
"Why's it so curt?"
"The handwriting looks like a little kid's, too."
Clue held up the page, showing the childish scrawl.
It looked like something scribbled by a preschooler—
"Says she's four."
"Tear it up."
"Yes, sir."
Riiip. Another letter shredded.
"...No normal ones?"
"Hmm. Looks like they all just sent something to test the waters with you, master."
"Why?"
"If it sticks, great. If not, no loss?"
"Sheesh."
"Should we execute them all for blasphemy?"
"Trying to start an absolute monarchy?"
Watch your words, Clue.
Too bad homunculi couldn't read minds—Clue just dove back into the pile with gusto.
"This one's from someone about your age, master."
"Read it."
"Upon seeing your noble figure, this maiden fell for you."
"Already sounds bad."
"Though I've never met you, I know how wonderful you are through the eyes of my heart."
"Trash it."
"Yes, sir."
Riiip. Another one gone. I could only pinch my brow.
"Seriously, not a single normal person."
"What do you mean, no normal people?"
Isfil, who'd been quiet till now, finally spoke up.
"There's tons around you."
"Around me?"
"Yeah."
"..."
Around me?
Who around me is old enough to dance?
"Only Lucy."
"......"
Clue and Isfil stared at me blankly.
What?
I pressed my temples and sighed.
"Let's just finish reading these first."
"Right. There was no poison to begin with, and Isfil purified any curses, so we'll zip through them."
And so, Clue and I tackled the endless mountain of letters.
How much time had passed?
"Ugh..."
My eyes felt like they were going to fall out.
Who knew I'd get the same eye strain here as after twelve hours on a computer back home?
"That's all of them."
Clue, unfazed and without a hint of eye fatigue, set the last letter aside.
"We've sorted them now."
"Yeah."
I stretched and closed my eyes.
After filtering out the duds, three remained.
"...One of these is from Lucy, so..."
Clue flicked the elegantly decorated letter into a corner.
"Leaves us with two."
"..."
Two.
Out of that avalanche, only two survived the cull. Ridiculous, but whatever.
"First one: daughter of the Minister of State."
Clue handed me the letter.
Beautiful handwriting filled the page.
No fluff—a perfectly proper letter.
"The writing, the content... it's flawlessly perfect. Almost scary."
Clue murmured as she set it down with a hum.
"She's a bit older, though. Fifteen."
"..."
Age is the issue.
Fifteen means taller than me.
I won't catch up until a couple years from now.
Basically, little guy and big sis vibes.
"But flip it around: no scandal risk. Could be a plus."
Clue had a point.
With that dynamic, no gossip fodder. We'd fly under the radar.
"Next..."
Clue frowned as she unfolded the letter. We all did.
"Catherine..."
Catherine.
The villainous lady from my memories.
She'd sent me a letter.
"Why'd she send this?"
"Probably Princess Lily's doing?"
"Nah, Lily sent me one too."
I glanced at the fancy letter shoved aside.
Lily and Ravire had sent theirs too.
All handwritten.
Lily filled three pages. Ravire just scrawled, Dance with me!
Perfectly in character.
Not just sisters, either.
Mom sent one too.
I eyed the most opulent one in the discard pile.
Dearest Theodor, won't you dance with Mommy?
I'll give you the world.
It read like a demon lord's proposal. I'd quietly buried it.
No interest in dancing with family.
Lily, Ravire, Mom, Clue, Isfil—they're all family.
Nothing to gain.
"Anyway, back to the point..."
Clue cleared her throat and continued.
"She sent it for a reason."
"Not like she's suddenly switching sides, right?"
I had zero confidence handling a villainess.
"Doubt it."
Clue shook her head.
"My guess? After talking with Princess Lily, it's a political overture. Like proposing an alliance or truce."
"..."
I looked at Catherine's letter.
Handwritten, beautifully penned.
Polite to a fault.
"Finally..."
Clue fetched the one from the far corner and eyed me.
"This, as you know, is from Lucy."
"..."
Lucy's letter.
She'd said she was done with words, but sent one anyway.
Go figure.
I tore it open.
Unlike the others, it was crude.
Cheap paper, like she'd scribbled it in hiding. Ink smudged here and there, some words illegible.
Maybe that's why.
It felt the most human.
"Lucy's... honestly, nothing to gain."
Clue muttered, staring at it.
"She's already in your faction. No betrayal risk."
I got what she meant.
In game terms, why grind with a max-affinity retainer?
You'd hustle for new recruits instead.
Clue was right.
"..."
I gazed at the letters and nodded.
Easier choice than expected.
Time flew. The ball loomed.
"..."
Lucy scanned the room, eyes closed.
Prince Theodor probably hadn't picked her.
So she'd grab some random partner.
She looked around.
Boys stealing glances her way.
She knew.
Appearance-wise, she wasn't ugly.
Pretty, even.
If she wanted, any guy would do for a dance.
No big deal.
Just dancing.
But why did it...
"...Sigh."
Lucy sighed softly, surveying the hall.
Standing alone in a grand ballroom like this? Bound to stir rumors.
Twelve was prime debutante age.
Especially since she'd planned to go with Prince Theodor. No scene here.
So who—
As she pondered and stepped forward.
"Found you."
A familiar voice came from behind.
"..."
Lucy turned slowly.
"What're you doing?"
Prince Theodor grinned at her.
His looks outshone any peer. And that effortless nobility.
Now she got why everyone called him mature beyond his years.
He was.
She thought herself grown-up, but he was leagues ahead.
So he'd pick someone more his level. Someone he clicked with.
With that thought, Lucy smiled softly to greet him.
"What're you doing?"
"Huh?"
She stared blankly at the hand extended before her.
Prince Theodor was offering his hand, smiling.
"Dance with me. Partner."
Lucy's breath caught.