Chapter 200
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 200
Time is gold?
No!
To me right now, time was an unidentified predator with its maw wide open!
I was terrified that I might be devoured by this thing called "time" at any moment!
"Just anything! Whatever’s fastest to put on! Hurry!"
"Understood!"
"And send any fast-footed servant to the Summer Annex to check if Prince Klaus is there, then report back to me immediately!"
"Yes! Right away!"
Even in their flustered state, the maids quickly pulled out a summer dress.
Because the material was so light, it looked no different from pajamas at a glance. A summer dress of this fabric was the kind of thing one would only wear inside the house—hardly appropriate for the outdoors—but the ornate gold and silver embroidery along the hem blocked out that subtle sense of intimacy and coziness.
They draped a veil as soft as mist, woven from a light fabric, over my shoulders.
In a mere six minutes, I was perfectly dressed for an outing, styled so well that no one could find a single flaw.
After switching into light shoes, I rushed outside.
30 minutes. 30 minutes.
I sprinted through the garden, feeling like I might burst into tears at any second.
Klaus! Thank you for taking a room in the annex near my quarters!
But if you’re not there, I won’t leave you be!
I’ll burn the entire Summer Annex to the ground!
As I was running toward Klaus like a madwoman, a servant running from the opposite direction widened his eyes. It was undoubtedly the servant I had sent earlier to check if Klaus was at the annex.
He looked utterly shocked to see me charging like a crazed bull.
"L-Lady Tulia!"
"Is the Prince there or not?!"
"He is!"
"Go to Adel and tell her to give you a reward!"
"A reward? Th-thank you!"
The servant, suddenly granted a reward, didn't even look happy. He just stared at me with eyes as wide as saucers, looking like someone who had just witnessed a comet crashing into the castle.
"Klaus!"
I kicked open the doors of the Summer Annex like a bulldozer.
"Gasp."
"Lady Tulia?"
Naturally, since Klaus was staying as a guest of the Freziers, the servants handling the chores were from our household.
They were all stunned to see me. In fact, a few were so frozen they looked petrified, making even me feel a bit uneasy for a split second.
"What’s with those looks? Is there something wrong with my appearance?"
"N-no, it’s just... a wild colt charging... No, it’s nothing!"
"It’s because Prince Klaus kept pestering me, saying he had urgent business."
Seeing how the excuses flowed out without even passing through my brain, it seemed my body knew exactly what was happening. It knew my life was on the line.
"…!"
The servants’ brows furrowed instantly.
"Where is he? The Prince?"
"He is on the second floor."
"Lead the way."
The servants bowed immediately, but they began whispering among themselves. They were grumbling about what kind of etiquette allowed a prince to summon their precious young lady so urgently, regardless of his status.
"Everyone, I’m fine."
"But, My Lady…"
"He must have called for me because it’s truly urgent. I’ll make sure to get a proper apology later, so don’t be too upset."
"My Lady…!"
The servants looked up at me with moved voices. I lifted my head.
Right on time, the man who held my literal lifeline was there.
"Prince Klaus! To think you were out here waiting for me!"
At the top of the second-floor stairs, Klaus looked as though he had come out to see what the sudden commotion was about.
"No, what on ear—"
"Prince Klauuuuuus!"
When I bellowed like I’d swallowed a steam engine, Klaus flinched and took a step back in surprise.
"Because you summoned me so suddenly! So very urgently! I haaaaaaad to—!"
"…Huh?"
"I dropped everything and came running at full speed, didn't Iiiiiii?!"
Klaus looked back and forth between me and the servants, his expression suggesting he hadn't quite processed the situation yet. He had a dazed look in his eyes.
But I am Tulia.
A person who has lived her life constantly being stabbed in the back by Kim Ddong-byul!
This level of improvisation was nothing.
"Then shall we go inside and discuss your business! Prince! I am fully prepared to hear whatever it is!"
I silenced Klaus before he could say anything useless—specifically, by glaring at him with crazed eyes.
"…Right. I did call you. I called for the Young Lady."
Phew. He’s not completely slow.
Klaus’s voice returned to normal a beat late. He cleared his throat.
"Ahem. My apologies. It was such an urgent matter that I had no choice but to impose upon the Young Lady."
"It is quite alright, Prince."
When I responded with a brazen, slight bow, Klaus’s lip twitched.
He gestured with his chin.
"…Everyone."
"Yes, Prince."
"Handle it."
A prince was still a prince; as soon as Klaus caught on, he immediately played along with my act.
At Klaus’s signal, his subordinates approached the servants with smiles.
"Now, now, would everyone mind stepping this way for a moment? Haha, how could lowly people like us interfere with a conversation between two such noble figures? Come now, let’s smile. Let’s keep moving while we smile, hahaha!"
They sounded a bit like sycophants, but their intention was likely to truly win them over.
From a quick glance, it looked like the servants would be receiving quite a few gold coins under the guise of a bonus today. I was the one who ran myself to death, so why were they the only ones getting gold?
Dammit. I’m always the unlucky one, aren't I?
Wait, no. There was someone else here who was unlucky too.
The Prince, who had suddenly lost money and was about to have his reputation slightly—no, significantly—damaged.
"Hey."
As soon as the surroundings went quiet, Klaus led me into the second-floor reception room. The moment the door closed, he ground his teeth with a grim expression.
"You. You do realize that I have such a thing as social standing, right?"
"Of course, of course. I know, I know."
Having a guilty conscience, I immediately turned submissive and rubbed my hands together.
"Calling out a lady from another noble house so informally would already get me cursed at, but to summon the only daughter of the Empire’s sole Grand Ducal house like that?"
"Ahem."
"Are you trying to get me buried alive in this Brillant Empire, or what?"
"Oh, come now. How could that be? Our servants are very discreet. It’ll never leak outside, so please cool your anger, Great Prince Klaus."
"I’m not angry, I’m flabbergasted!"
Klaus yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Unless you’re determined to make my reputation hit rock bottom with your family’s employees!"
"It’s fine if you give them money! My kids are materialists, just like me!"
"Do you think everyone in the world is like you?"
"Yep!"
"You really are… forget it, just forget it!"
Klaus ruffled his hair messily, and right on cue, the quest text floated in the air.
[System] You have completed the Linked Quest: Unavoidable Foundation!
[System] Success rewards are being granted.
[System] An opportunity to obtain an Inevitable Quest Special Benefit has appeared!
Wait. Hold on.
I feel like I just got scammed by this system window.
Looking at it closely now, it’s not saying it’s giving me a special benefit, but giving me an opportunity to obtain one?
Are you kidding me?
I thought I only had to read contracts carefully, but now I have to read system windows carefully too…
It’s a scary world.
A truly scary world!
But still.
I seem to have avoided the terrifying fate of being killed by Corico if I failed, so I’ll take comfort in that…
Honestly, what else can I do but comfort myself like this?
A mere worker bee like me can’t exactly smash the system window to pieces.
Instead, I just renewed my resolve to work Kim Ddong-byul like a rented mule today.
At any rate, I had barely cleared one hurdle.
Now…
I flashed a bright smile at Klaus, who was still glaring at me with his arms crossed, and opened my mouth.