Chapter 157: Grating
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 157: Grating
Because she was dressed like the "Whore Captain" from some trashy neighborhood, I hadn't really noticed, but seeing her from right next to me, she seemed shorter than Ophelia Noona.
Gracia watched her with wary eyes before scurrying over to Mom and clinging to her thigh. That brat was only tough toward her brother; seeing her get cold feet the moment she faced an adult was truly exasperating.
To her, the easiest targets were first, her brother, and second, Teacher Yvette.
"I didn't mean to scare her..."
Duchess Garnet de La Croix looked at Gracia, who was hiding behind Mom’s legs, with a complicated expression.
"Noona!"
"Noona...? Are you... talking to me?"
The Duchess asked with a hint of delight, and I readily nodded my head.
"You're super pretty, Noona! I like you!"
"Hehe, I'm not exactly at an age to be called Noona... Teehee..."
She seemed so easy, looking like she didn't know what to do with herself out of joy. If she hadn't been dressed so vulgarly, I wouldn't have pegged her as a pathetic female in heat. But since no one in our neighborhood dressed like a "Whore Captain," my prejudices kept surfacing.
"Are you an acquaintance of my mother?"
"Um... I'm an acquaintance of your grandmother—I mean, your mother's mother. I've only heard of you by name."
The woman, who looked like a mysterious beauty, answered kindly. I quickly grabbed her hand. She flinched as if surprised, but since I had inherited the looks of my mother—who was considered one of the most beautiful even among elves—she couldn't bring herself to pull away when I smiled at her.
This damn lookism was truly thrilling.
"Ah, I've kept my guests standing for too long. Let's head out immediately. I've prepared some refreshments if you're feeling peckish."
Despite being a rich Duchess with a name perfectly suited for a villainess, Duchess La Croix actually had a wonderful personality.
Compared to the wealthy and powerful women around me—cancerous growths on society who only looked out for their own kind while exploiting everyone else—it was almost heartbreaking.
Duchess La Croix took my hand and began to walk slowly to match my pace, and the maid noonas carrying baskets began to follow closely behind her.
"Does our cute young master want to eat anything in particular?"
It was a shame I couldn't tell her that I wanted to try a "tasting" of her—no, of this auntie.
"Everyone must be hungry, so I think it's best if we go and eat together quickly. Noona."
I saw the corners of Garnet de La Croix's mouth twitch.
Was the title "Noona" really that good?
It was beyond pathetic. Here was a person with a good personality, looks, wealth, and power, yet she was dying of happiness just because a brat with "nation-toppling beauty" (according to Alicia) called her Noona once.
***
The initially tense atmosphere easily thawed after a few exchanges between Mom and her friend's mother. Usually, parents were supposed to engage in a war of nerves, fighting over whose daughter was better or worse, but the reality here was always tamer than a drama, which was almost disappointing.
It would have been more fun to watch them have a psychological battle, saying things like "my daughter is better than yours," but Noona La Croix—no, this auntie—was just grinning like an idiot, looking at me as if she didn't know what to do because I was so cute.
It seemed my SSS-Rank looks had charmed another woman.
"Noona, you're really pretty."
"Hehe, our Yong-hwan is really cute too."
You want a son like me, don't you? You really want one, right? I thought to myself with a smile. Seeing how I was the number one choice for a son that mothers wanted, it was hard to believe this era possessed a scientific civilization more advanced than the one I used to live in.
I wanted to act like a little fox and raise her affection level, but her "Whore Commander-in-Chief" outfit was so shocking that the words kept dying in my throat.
Since I'd been hanging around low-class females lately, I almost blurted out compliments like "your ass is huge," "your milk dispensers must be working overtime," "your hole looks tight," or "you look like you'd be fun to hit," but I managed to hold back.
Still, unlike other women who tried to grope me or sexually harass me at every opportunity, seeing her be so cultured and considerate made it clear she was indeed a noble.
Her outfit was severely flawed, but perhaps because of the constant influx of superior genes, this high-ranking noble noona's face was so beautiful it wouldn't lose even if she stood next to my mom.
Of course, since the average beauty of Mom's friends was so high, her uniqueness might fade a bit if she were among them. Still, with a mother-in-law like this, I felt like I could live as Duke Yong-hwan de La Croix instead of Jeong Yong-hwan.
"Our Ophelia praised you quite a lot. She mentioned there was a very brilliant boy who was her friend's younger brother."
Watching her lead the conversation so gently and eloquently, I felt like I understood what it meant to "shine even while wearing the clothes of a total slut."
To put it simply, she had a sort of "soft charisma."
I couldn't quite tell if she was the type that seemed easy to conquer but was actually difficult, or if she was just a category of heroine that couldn't be conquered at all.
I threw out a few testing jabs, but other than her mouth twitching with joy because I was "cute," there was no reaction.
By this point, most would have pulled me closer to increase physical contact or even touched my butt, but she didn't react.
Perhaps my defense mechanisms had become too strong lately, or maybe I was too immersed in the "SSS-Rank Male" game and had become obsessed with the wrong idea of trying to conquer every pretty noona I saw.
With a bit of self-reflection, we arrived at a very spacious dining hall where the meal was prepared. In a space the size of a school gym, a long table stretching over a dozen meters was packed with food.
Iris and Ophelia had arrived first and were sitting there wearing dresses that looked quite practical. I didn't think my sister would carry something like that around, so she probably borrowed it from Ophelia.
For now, I needed to eat.
***
There wasn't much conversation during the meal. Whenever it seemed like I needed something, the maid noonas would come and take care of it, and somehow they had figured out my favorite foods, as the dishes around my spot on the table had changed from the start.
And I hadn't even noticed when they were swapped. The professionalism of these maid noonas was almost terrifying.
There were also a few male butlers standing around, but they just stood there silently. I wanted to ask why they were just standing there instead of working, but I couldn't bring myself to speak in such a relaxed dining atmosphere.
Besides, the food was sliding down my throat so crazily that it was actually better not to be forced into conversation.
Once the silent banquet ended, Mom went out for a "date" with her daughter she hadn't seen in a while. Ophelia, who wanted to stay with me, was dragged away by Gracia—I don't know what kind of cute act she pulled—to show her around the Duchess's castle.
Of course, Ophelia offered to show me the castle and its surroundings too, but right now, it was more important to figure out if this mother-in-law was a conquerable heroine or a "DLC-only" character who dressed like a whore and acted incredibly sexy but was currently locked. So, I declined, claiming I was tired.
Naturally, this gave me the chance to enjoy something like a tea party alone with the incredibly sexy auntie-noona. Seeing as she gave me this opportunity instead of leaving me elsewhere, it felt like there might be a way to make a move.
"What is your school like, Yong-hwan?"
"It's ordinary. Well... they say it's good for the school district, but everyone feels more or less the same, except for one person."
"One person?"
There was Im Su-yeon, that despair-inducing "Wailing Wall" sent by the Goddess.
"By any chance, is that child's name Im Su-yeon?"
"...How do you know?"
It was terrifying to think that Im Su-yeon's name had reached even a foreign Duchess.
"Dame Camel mentioned seeing a genius in the United Kingdom. As an educator, it was the first time I'd heard her praise a child so much, so I remembered the name."
That damn "Cow Bitch" was out there boosting Im Su-yeon's reputation. While I was rolling around everywhere to grind my reputation, increase my skills, and bring home awards, that "Wailing Wall" was getting the benefits of an "auto-hunt" feature.
"Did Camel Noona never mention me?"
"...I don't quite remember. This auntie has been getting forgetful lately."
The way she smiled kindly and changed the subject was truly artistic. That "Garbage-Tier Cow Bitch" was steadily stacking "Hate" points with me today. I really wanted to ask what that dairy cow was thinking, acting like this toward me.
I wondered what kind of punishment I should give that female—whose calories meant for her brain had clearly all gone to her breasts and ass—to make her stop such heinous behavior, since walking naked outdoors clearly wasn't enough.
"Come to think of it, the boy who was the perpetual second place in the reports..."
The slutty woman wearing nothing but lewd scraps of cloth opened her eyes wide in surprise as she looked at me. Whether she was conquerable or not didn't matter anymore.
"Yes, that's me. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to beat Su-yeon. Even when I try my best, it's hard."
I lowered my head slightly, putting on the face of a wounded puppy.
"Everyone's talents are different, so it's okay. I'm sure there are many things our Yong-hwan is better at."
The "Whore Duchess" reached out and stroked my head as if to comfort me. A shiver of disgust ran through me, but I did my best not to show it.
"Really...?"
Instead, I faced Garnet de La Croix while wearing a perfect mask.
"Yes, really."
"...I'll try harder."
Garnet gave a soft smile and looked at me as if I were being admirable.
It was really grating.