Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Madwoman
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That night Taylor arrived.
Luna and the suitors were gathering for dinner.
Thanks to that, after a long time finishing work early, I was killing time in my room reading a novel.
-Knock knock.
Someone rapped on my door.
Who could it be? Taylor maybe?
The scary thought made me freeze without answering.
Getting tangled up with that crazy bitch would only lead to trouble... bad trouble at that.
-Are you in there?
A deep, disciplined man's voice.
It's Raoul.
I glanced at the clock and thought.
Ah... dinner must be over by now.
With that realization, I opened the door...
"Ah! There he is!"
Taylor stood at the door with a sleazy grin.
"How rude. No answer when I knock, but you open for the Gloomy Knight."
"Ah... well."
Does this guy know I'm deliberately avoiding him?
"Anyway, wouldn't it be nice if we got closer this time?"
Closer? Why the hell would I want that?
Taylor's words were baffling.
Not that her thoughts were ever easy to understand...
Is she here to bribe me like Raoul did?
With that in mind, I awkwardly replied.
"I'm uncomfortable getting chummy with the Grand Duchess's suitors."
I tried to close the door, but her foot slipped into the gap.
"Oh? What's this? A guest drops by, and no tea offered?"
"Why should I offer you anything?! Get your foot out! I need to sleep."
How does a woman have this much strength? She's a mage, for crying out loud.
"Just a bit... just a little! Ugh!"
-Thud!
Taylor's freakish strength sent me tumbling backward.
What... why is she so damn strong?
She's even shorter than me. And though disguised, she's a woman.
"Heh... looks like you're a bit weak. Maybe hit the gym?"
She stepped in and looked down at me.
This pisses me off...
In the end, I served her a glass of cold water after she barged in.
"Where's the tea?"
"I don't like tea."
Raoul at least had manners. How am I supposed to like someone who forces their way in like this?
"Fine, whatever. Busy tomorrow?"
I ran through my schedule at her question...
Tomorrow's my one day off a week.
"Nothing much."
"How about a walk around Vain with me then? It's changed a lot since last time."
I stared at the beaming crazy lesbian.
No way she'd approach a man...
This woman who despises men worse than dirt under her nails is asking me to stroll?
She's obviously scheming something.
So...
"No can do. I've got backlog novels to catch up on for my rest."
"Aw, why?"
"Why? It's my one day off. Why should I show you around Vain? I'll tell Sir Charles instead; someone else can guide you."
"Grr..."
Taylor glared, grinding her teeth at my words.
I don't know her game, but she clearly wasn't happy things weren't going her way.
But what the hell is her angle?
"You sure? Even though I'm Taylor Mage, disciple of the Tower Lord?"
I shot back without missing a beat.
"Indeed. So Taylor Mage, disciple of the Tower Lord, is threatening me—His Imperial Majesty's adopted sibling and knight?"
My sarcasm made her shoulders tremble.
Heh, she's such an annoying character in the original story; always wanted to deck her. Winning with words feels great.
See? That's the difference between you and me.
"You'll regret this."
"You'll re-gret thiiiis~"
I mocked her on purpose, and her pale face flushed beet red.
"Hoo... fine. I'll withdraw for tonight. But... you'll pay for this."
I parroted her final words in a goofy voice.
"You'll paaaay~"
"Damn it!"
-Slam!
She slammed the door and stormed off.
Watching her go, an inexplicable unease settled in.
But seriously, what's her deal?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ From then on, Taylor was everywhere I looked, every single day.
Running into her "by chance" in the halls or on walks.
Every time, she'd whine for me to show her around Vain.
"Come on? Just go look around by yourself."
"Vain's changed so much; I don't know my way around anymore!"
I sighed at her shouting tantrum.
"Sigh... fine, I'll assign soldiers as escorts; ask them."
"Uncomfortable with them; not that close."
I itched to flick her forehead at her shameless familiarity logic.
"Then go with Sir Raoul; you're close, right?"
"With that gloomy creep? I'd rather bite my tongue and die!"
"Figure it out then. I'm busy, so..."
As I turned to leave...
-Flop!
She threw herself on the ground and grabbed my pants leg. I snapped as I tried to walk away.
"Hey! Let go!"
"No way! Show me around Vain! Pretty pleeease!"
My pants nearly tore as I yelled.
"Someone! Interfering with official duties here!"
"What the hell?!"
I heard Taylor shout, but...
The knights heard me and rushed over.
"Sir Aiden! What's going on?!"
"Taylor's bothering me during work! Get her off!"
"Understood!"
The knights subdued her grip on my pants...
And Taylor wailed desperately.
"After doing that with me, now you toss me aside?!"
Her sudden nonsense left me flustered as I shouted.
"What... what the hell are you saying?! You lunatic?!"
"Sodomite..."
Her mutter made the knights' eyes waver as they edged away from me.
"No! Misunderstanding! I like women!"
The knights just subtly turned their heads at my shout.
Furious at the needless suspicion, I stomped on her hand...
"Aaaah!"
She yelped in surprise, released me, and I bolted.
Damn it... what the hell does she want?
Worried she might follow, I headed to Luna's office.
"Ah? Sir Aiden?"
"Huff, huff... Is the Grand Duchess inside?"
"Yes, she is."
The knight knocked on Luna's office door.
-Knock knock.
-Who is it?
Luna's tired voice.
"Sir Aiden is here."
-Aiden? Let him in.
The knights opened the door at her word, and I entered.
-Click.
The door closed softly behind me. Luna looked puzzled.
"Aiden, something wrong?"
"Yeah. That crazy bitch nearly ripped my pants off."
Luna's expression shifted at my words.
"What? Who?"
"Taylor."
She looked shocked for a moment, then puzzled.
"Ah... but I don't think I ever told you Taylor's a woman?"
"Oh..."
Mountain after mountain.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Taylor was fuming.
She'd planned to lure Aiden out of the Grand Ducal Palace casually and cast mental magic on him, but he dodged her every time.
"Why does he keep avoiding me?!"
-Thud thud!
She kicked the innocent sofa.
Venting her iron-wall frustrations on the furniture, she pondered how to change the situation.
'Maybe because I'm a man?'
Assuming Aiden wouldn't dodge a pretty woman, Taylor hurriedly dispelled her magic.
-Snap!
Standing before the full-length mirror in the corner of her room in casual clothes, she examined herself.
Petite with just-right curves and a slim waist.
"Pretty enough..."
'No idea why men lose it over looks.'
"Sigh... but I hate this."
She grimaced at her reflection.
Physiologically, using feminine wiles on a man repulsed her.
As a lesbian, seducing men disgusted her, and revealing her secret could spell disaster.
Luna knew, and she was trustworthy as a knight, but Taylor remained paranoid.
"What to do."
She couldn't stay like this forever.
Her master might show up to drag her back.
Time wasn't on her side.
"No choice. Humiliating, but I'll make him pay double later."
'Endure the humiliation now, shatter his mind, and torment him.'
Determination burned in Taylor's eyes.
Failure didn't exist in her mind.
She knew her looks turned heads, and men went wild for sultry beauties.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The next day at lunch.
In the garden where flowers bloomed vibrantly, I spotted a girl with water-blue hair on a bench.
That's... Taylor.
No other woman in the palace has water-blue hair.
What's with her not in male disguise for once?
I had no idea why a woman who always tried to act like a man was like this, but...
Don't care. Never pay attention to crazy bitches.
As I passed her by...
"Knight over there?"
I ignored her and kept walking...
-Grab.
She scowled and seized my wrist.
"Excuse me?!"
I knew it was Taylor but pretended otherwise.
"Wh... who are you?"
"Sir Aiden, right? I heard you're close with my brother."
"Pardon?"
Your brother? Who the hell is that, you crazy bitch?