Chapter 62 — Kalix and Julianna
Chapter 62 — Kalix and Julianna
Translation: Godtl
It was Kalix whom Lelia had spotted.
But there was someone else beside him.
Lelia immediately hid in the bushes beside the corridor.
'Why on earth is Kalix taking a walk with Julianna?'
Watching while hidden, she saw Kalix and Julianna getting closer and closer.
Looking carefully, behind the two were several ladies who appeared to be Julianna's maidservants, following at a distance.
Lelia was bewildered by the sight of the two walking together, something she had never imagined.
Julianna kept chattering away like a bird with a lovely expression on her face.
Her flushed expression was adorable.
Meanwhile, Kalix looked completely indifferent and distracted, as if he wasn't listening at all.
At that sight, Lelia sighed.
While Lelia couldn't claim to be skilled at etiquette, she at least knew the basics thanks to the etiquette teacher her grandfather had assigned her.
But Kalix was entirely different.
Perhaps because he ran away from the imperial palace in his childhood.
Honestly speaking, Kalix seemed like someone who didn't know the words' manners ' or' escort 'at all.
'That's harsh...'
To think there was a man who would ignore a lady he was walking with like that.
Lelia watched the two with unexpected admiration.
Julianna, as if she never tired, chattered away diligently while occasionally glancing around.
As for Kalix... even if Julianna were suddenly erased from this scene, he looked like he wouldn't feel anything was amiss at all.
That was how freely and unconsciously he was ignoring Julianna.
When the two passed through the corridor and disappeared from view, Lelia let out a breath of relief and emerged from the bushes.
"……!"
But as soon as she came out of the bushes, she ran into someone.
It was Lute, emerging from the bushes on the opposite side.
Lelia tried to ignore him and pretend she hadn't seen him, but Lute approached her with what seemed like an angry expression and asked.
"Who are you?"
"……."
What kind of question was this?
Lelia was dumbfounded.
Of course, it was a face he was seeing for the first time, so Lute must have been startled as well... but the imperial palace wasn't his property, so where did he get the nerve to be this rude?
Lute must have realized there was something strange about his question too, as he shook his head and asked again.
"I apologize. I was too surprised... Were you secretly watching the people who just passed by?"
"...Isn't that the same for you?"
Lelia deliberately lowered her voice as she replied. So that he wouldn't suspect she was really a woman.
Lute looked Lelia up and down.
Fortunately, unlike what Lelia worried, Lute didn't seem to suspect her at all.
Rather.
"...You didn't sneak into the imperial palace to see Princess Julianna, did you?"
"……."
At Lute's question, Lelia was dumbfounded.
Right, you were the original male lead.
A man completely besotted with Julianna, for whom the whole world revolved around her.
"Answer me."
When Lelia didn't answer, he seemed to take it as confirmation and urged her in a threatening, low voice.
Eventually, Lelia inadvertently revealed her fake identity.
"I am a distant relative of Prince Romeo from the Roseberry Kingdom. I'm staying at the imperial palace thanks to His Majesty's consideration."
"……!"
"Is that a problem?"
"...I have committed a discourtesy. I apologize."
At Lelia's calm reply, Lute's face turned red. He had reason to be embarrassed.
He had essentially declared to a complete stranger, 'I like Princess Julianna.'
The misunderstanding was cleared up, and just as she was about to pass by, Lute blocked her way.
"It's nice to meet you. I am Lute Castrill."
"...Raymond Levester."
"Please forgive my rudeness."
"It's fine."
Lute's strangely sullen expression was a bit annoying, but she didn't care.
Lute slightly bowed his head in greeting, then walked over and sat on a bench near where he had been hiding, shoulders drooping.
Lelia glanced at him and turned away.
One step, two steps, three steps she walked.
Ding.
At the sudden sound effect, Lelia's brows furrowed.
A rectangular window suddenly floated before her eyes.
[Oh no!=͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪ ‧̣̥̇) You've discovered a young man fallen into deep sorrow! Shall we resolve his worries? You might receive a special gift...!(ง•̀ө•́)ง✧]
∙ Young man's
∙ Special Shop System Unlock
'No way...'
Lelia stood with her mouth open in surprise, then turned around with a sinking feeling.
There she saw Lute sitting sullenly on the bench.
The problem was that a red [!] mark was floating above his head.
This unmistakably meant he was the quest target.
'Why of all people...'
She had absolutely no desire to get entangled with the original male lead.
What Lelia wanted was just one sacred artifact he possessed.
She stared blankly at the quest window.
Reading the text slowly again, her gaze stopped at 'Young man's Treasure 'in the reward list.
'Could it be the sacred artifact...?'
When she looked at the treasure chest icon with a question mark drawn next to the text 'Young man's Treasure,' a small information window popped up.
[A secret treasure the young man obtained! The Temple is very eager for it.✧(•́⌄•́๑)]
'It's certain.'
But...
'Wouldn't it be easier to just steal it when Lute loses it?'
And if she refused this quest, perhaps another sub-quest could unlock the Special Shop.
Lelia said 'Reject' inwardly, just in case.
However, the system casually shattered her hopes.
[Do you want to reject the quest?(๑•́₋•̩̥̀๑)]
※Caution
If you reject this quest, Special Shop unlock will be permanently blocked.
"……."
Then there was no choice. She had to change her thinking.
'Actually, this might be a good opportunity.'
If she just completed the quest, she could obtain the sacred artifact and unlock the Special Shop.
Of course, there was no guarantee the treasure was the sacred artifact, but the probability was high.
Moreover, if the Special Shop opened, she would be able to use the lottery system too.
She didn't know what she would receive if the lottery hit, but it might be closely related to the game's final objective, the' Philosopher's Stone.'
'I might be able to cleanly wrap everything up and leave the imperial palace.'
Lelia made up her mind and immediately turned around to walk toward Lute.
"Excuse me, do you have some kind of worry?"
She asked with an intentionally composed face.
Surprisingly, Lute poured out his worries quite readily.
Even when reading the original work, I did feel he had a simple personality....
In any case, the fact that he wasn't being guarded was a good thing for her.
Perhaps having already seen Romeo and knowing he was a relative, he had let his guard down.
"So... I really can't figure out what I should do."
"...."
However, Lute's worries were quite troublesome in nature.
'That his life's greatest worry is how to confess to Julianna....'
Lelia felt somehow deflated and leaned back deeply against the bench.
The thought 'what a blessed life' crossed her mind, but she soon erased it.
Lute was one of the heroes who had suffered through the battlefield for years. Thinking such things about him was rude.
But annoying was still annoying.
'Why exactly do I have to be the bridge between the original male lead and female lead?'
Lelia gazed at the small text of the quest list visible in the corner of her vision.
There were two quests in progress.
One was Kalix's, and the second was a sub-quest.
[Sub-Quest]
∙ Help the love confession of a young man fallen into worry
Lelia secretly let out a deep sigh without Lute noticing.
Having poured out all his worries, Lute now seemed embarrassed and scratched the back of his head.
"Sir Raymond, I strangely find myself pouring out my worries to you. I suppose it's because you seem to know women well."
"...What do you mean?"
Lelia asked in surprise. She wondered if he had noticed she was a woman.
But Lute waved his hand and said.
"It's just that you seem to be the type who's quite popular with women. I only recently learned this after coming to the capital.... Apparently, among the capital's noble ladies, men with beautiful appearances like yours are popular these days."
"Ah."
"I'm completely lacking that delicate vibe.... Ah, surely Julianna doesn't like your type, does she?"
Lute, who had been looking at her with gentle eyes, immediately grew guarded and asked.
Then immediately became crestfallen and answered his own question himself.
"Ah, that wouldn't be it. Seeing her go with Kalix earlier...."
Lelia watched him ask and answer himself for a moment, then questioned.
"...Come to think of it, why were the two of you suddenly taking a walk? You shouldn't have had any prior connection."
As far as Lelia knew, that was the case.
At the mention of that topic, Lute bristled.
"I don't know either. After the banquet ended, Julianna suddenly approached Kalix.... She kept looking at Kalix throughout the meal too. Surely she hasn't fallen for Kalix, has she?"
"...Well, she could fall for him."
Kalix was a man with a handsome appearance even if you watched him do a hundred forward rolls.
Honestly speaking, Lute was also good-looking, but in terms of charm, Kalix was a cut above.
Tall, handsome features, alluring dark skin that women would like, a body that was both tall and thickly muscular.
His personality was a bit... like that, but that too was part of Kalix's charm.
Just then, Lute laughed with a deflated sound.
"Even so, he's a cripple, isn't he? How could she like someone who can't see before him...?"
"......?"
Lelia doubted her ears.
In the original work, Lute was a very upright young man. He wouldn't say such rude words so carelessly....
Lute too seemed to realize his mistake belatedly, squeezing his eyes shut. He tried belatedly to take back the words he had let slip.
"Of course, I don't mean to disparage Sir Kalix. But... but... I apologize. Please pretend you didn't hear that."
Right, but it must be because he was blinded by his love for Julianna.
Even in the original work, he was someone whose way of thinking would completely collapse when it came to matters related to Julianna.
Lelia suddenly didn't want to proceed with the quest anymore.
It was unpleasant.
If Kalix hadn't injured his eye, the war with the mad dragon wouldn't have ended.
Lute, who was criticizing a friend precious to her, was instantly perceived as an enemy.
Lelia stood up abruptly, overcome with sudden displeasure.
"It's getting late. My body isn't well, so I should return."
"Ah, understood. Thank you for listening to my worries today, Sir Raymond."
"Yes."
Lute grabbed Lelia as she turned to leave.
"By any chance, could you listen to my worries again next time? It's difficult to talk to anyone else...."
"......"
Lelia irritably gazed at the quest window visible in one corner of her vision.
'Right, endure it for now. Endure it... the moment the quest ends, I'll punch his face.'
She barely managed to squeeze out the strength to nod, and Lute's face brightened.
That was when it happened.
"What are you doing here?"
It was Kalix and Julianna who had gone that way earlier. They seemed to have turned back this way and discovered Lelia and Lute.
Kalix raised one eyebrow and looked back and forth between the two.
"......"
Julianna also looked at the two with curiosity-filled eyes. Then her eyes met Lelia's directly.
And Lelia couldn't help but be flustered by Julianna's following action.
The moment Julianna's eyes met Lelia's, she stared intently at her, then turned her head as if shy.
As if shy.