Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Are You in Your Right Mind?
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"Ahem! You rascal, I'm heading to the dining hall first. Don't be late."
Rubbing under his nose with a sleazy grin plastered on his face, Lancelot sauntered out of the room. The moment he was gone, the temperature in the room seemed to drop in an instant.
The only sound echoing in the suddenly chilly space was Veronica's occasional breathing.
Jenia stared at me with eyes that weren't just lifeless—they were twisted into a cold sneer.
Setting aside my own embarrassment, I had something I absolutely had to do right now.
Leaving her like this, with those dead eyes, felt like it would lead to something irreversible.
I gently pried Veronica off my lap first.
"Eek?"
Letting out an adorable little squeak as she was set down, Veronica smacked her lips in disappointment.
Ignoring her for the moment, I hurried over to Jenia and grabbed both her hands tightly.
Jenia's eyebrows twitched for a split second, but her icy expression didn't change.
I rushed to speak.
"I'm sorry, Jenia."
Jenia gazed at me blankly and murmured softly.
"Sorry for what?"
Chillier than cold, frost practically swirling around her— that's how Jenia looked.
In my panic, I blurted it out.
"I'm sorry for hugging you out of nowhere, and for touching your face, and ah... and your ears too!"
At my words, she yanked one hand free and swept her bangs back with a mocking 'Ha!'
Sensing something had gone terribly wrong, I swallowed hard. Jenia spoke icily.
"There's nothing to be sorry for, is there? After all, I'm just a nominal duke's lady who can't even whimper if you tear up the contract and toss me away like a used rag."
My mouth went dry, saliva refusing to come.
"If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I'm just a pathetic wretch who can only receive and do nothing in return."
Jenia's lips curved into a smile, but her eyes weren't smiling at all.
"Your Highness, I'll get stronger... so no one can ever hurt you..."
This had to be stopped. I didn't know what it was, but it had to be stopped.
Seeing Jenia veering toward some dangerous path, I stroked her cheek with one hand.
Jenia raised one eyebrow with a 'Can you believe this guy?' look, but I didn't stop.
"Jenia, actually, I'm not sorry at all."
I looked straight into her eyes and said it.
Jenia looked incredulous, but I pressed on.
"Of course you'd say that. Your Highness has nothing to be sorry for..."
"The truth is, I've wanted to do this every single day because you're so pretty and cute."
Jenia flinched, her expression softening just a bit.
"Every time you look at me with those sparkling red eyes and that sweet-looking hair, do you have any idea how hard I have to hold back? This is all because of you, Jenia."
"Oh my goodness!"
Veronica let out an exclamation like some auntie glued to a morning soap opera.
Jenia's expression hadn't changed much yet, but color returned to her cheeks, bringing life back to her face.
"If it weren't for you, the people I love would have been badly hurt. I don't even want to imagine what it would've been like without you."
Jenia's lips relaxed slightly, light returning to her eyes. I gently tickled her ear.
"Eep!"
"You said there's nothing for you to be sorry about, so it's fine if I touch you whenever from now on, right?"
"Th-that's..."
"Don't refuse."
I whispered softly, and with a shy face, she nodded and murmured.
"Sometimes... it's okay..."
I smiled and replied.
"Yeah, our Jenia is too pretty."
As I started to pull my hand back from stroking the bashfully bowed head of Jenia, she snatched my wrist in a flash.
Her grip was unnaturally strong, making me flinch.
Jenia lifted her head slightly, and there was an irresistible glint in her eyes.
I barely held back a gasp and continued caressing her face.
Jenia smiled in satisfaction, closing her eyes softly and murmuring.
"Sometimes... just sometimes, it's okay."
"Hng, I'm jealous."
Ignoring Veronica's whine, I stroked Jenia endlessly until the servant came to call us.
For some reason, my back felt damp with sweat, but I kept a straight face and headed to the dining hall with everyone.
When we arrived at the dining hall, Grandfather, Grandmother, and Lancelot welcomed us.
Her name was Medea Florence, the wife of the Marquis of Florence.
Grandmother looked exactly like a portrait of what Mother would look like in the future.
The elegant lady with brown hair and black eyes was gulping down water from a glass.
She seemed displeased about something, squinting as she drank only water. I sat down cautiously, gauging the mood.
I started to introduce Jenia and Veronica, but...
"Grandma, this is the Duke's..."
-Bang!
Grandmother slammed the table hard and glared at me fiercely.
"You little mutt! No, Liam! I've heard everything—what the hell is wrong with you?!"
With an aura far from that of a refined noblewoman, she bellowed.
"S-sorry!"
"Why do something you need to apologize for! Huh?!"
"W-well..."
"Do you want to see your mother and this old lady collapsing? What's the point of me staying alive? I'm done eating—eat without me!"
She shoved her chair back and stormed toward the door, only to whirl around and charge at me.
Raising her hand high, it came whistling down in a perfect arc onto my back.
-Smack!
"Kyaah!"
"Ooh."
Lancelot admired the exquisite back-smack technique. I'll deal with you later...
-Smack!
"I!"
-Smack!
"brought!"
-Smack!
"your granddaughter-in-law!"
-Smack!
"How much prep did I do! Huh?!"
-Smack!
"And you! Huh?!"
Swallowed by rage, I'd forgotten what I meant to say as Grandmother pummeled my back. I clung to her waist desperately.
"Aigoo! Grandma! I was wrong! I swear I won't do it a fourth time!"
Hearing that, Grandmother rolled her eyes back and delivered a full-force straight punch to my back.
-Thwack!
"D'oh!"
"Never again? Just die by this old lady's hand!"
"M-Madam... maybe that's enough..."
"You stay out of it if you don't want to die!"
"..."
Even Grandfather, my last lifeline, was shot down in one scolding. Huffing, Grandmother returned to her seat.
"Sit!"
"Yes!"
Writhing in back pain, I obeyed her command like a fresh recruit.
Overawed, Jenia and Veronica kept their eyes fixed on the table, mouths shut tight.
"Hoo... Tell them to bring the food."
"Yes."
The servants swiftly set the table as if they'd been waiting.
In the imperial palace, dishes came out in courses, but in the marquisate, they always laid out a feast whenever I visited.
And so, we began the silent meal.
I nibbled cautiously, hyper-aware of the mood, when Grandmother barked again.
"Eat properly!"
"Yes!"
Following orders, I grabbed a well-roasted chicken leg and took a big bite.
Crunch—the crispy skin burst with juices. After all that hardship and waking up to good food, it tasted amazing.
Watching me eat, Grandmother's furrowed brow eased slightly as she spoke.
"Puppy, what is this? Huh? This old lady nearly fainted seeing you limp in your husband's arms."
At a loss for words, I mentioned the silver lining.
"Grandma... it all worked out safely, though?"
"I already grilled the battle mages. They said your face was caked in blood, body covered in gashes?"
"..."
"And you call that safe? I agonized for days over whether to write your mother. Haa... More water."
Grandmother downed the servant's refill in one go and continued.
"I held back because if I wrote, I'd drop dead, then your mom would, and it'd be a chain of funerals."
"Thank you..."
"Haa... Just eat for now. Listen while you eat."
I dug into the prepared dishes heartily.
Grandmother went on.
"I wondered why my clever puppy was suddenly like this. Still haven't let go of that grudge in your heart?"
Half-right. I thought it had faded, but seeing heretics still made me want to kill them all.
The empire was already abuzz with rumors of the prince's hatred for heretics.
Squeezing them till they bled, torturing them in the palace—rumors snowballed, impossible to stop.
"Hoo... Part of me wanted to cheer you on, but seeing you limp like that felt like the world collapsing."
"Grandma..."
"If you're gonna rampage like that, at least don't get hurt."
An implicit permission slipped from her lips, but her face screamed heartbreak.
"I'll... try my best not to get hurt from now on."
"Absolutely."
"...Absolutely."
Grandmother's deep frown lines softened a touch.
As she finally started eating, we all began taking small bites.
Even Lancelot had been on eggshells—the mood was utterly dismal.
To break the awkwardness, I decided to introduce Jenia and Veronica.
"Ahem, Grandma, this is..."
"They already greeted me while you were down. You barely touched your food even with the girls here, but now you're eating well."
Trying to lighten the mood only made a lead weight of guilt crash down on me.
Jenia and Veronica rolled their eyes nervously and spoke.
"S-sorry, Marchioness..."
"Grandma."
"G-grandma."
Grandmother nodded calmly and continued eating.
Feeling sorry for the two tiptoeing around her, she spoke up.
"Still, you brought a cute granddaughter-in-law and a pretty little priestess."
"Hehe..."
"Tsk, all skin and bones... Eat more, more."
At Grandmother's faint smile, both girls started eating heartily.
They must not have eaten properly while I was out—they were finally savoring it.
I was curious how long I'd been down and what happened, but I didn't want to steer the talk there, so I just ate.
I magically sliced distant dishes and plated them for Jenia and Veronica.
Watching them beam, Grandmother chuckled softly to herself.
"Young love... We were like that once."
In the relaxed mood, Grandfather smiled too.
"That's why we get to see this happy sight now, isn't it, dear?"
With a full belly recharging her energy, Veronica's eyes sparkled as she asked Grandmother.
"Gr-grandma, how did you meet the marquis?"
Great assist—nothing loosens the mood like a love story.
"Mm... Well..."
As Grandmother hesitated, Grandfather laughed and took over.
"Haha, I first met your grandma at the academy. It was the first midterm of our first year."
"""Ooh."""
Everyone reacted like students hearing their teacher's first love tale.
"Back then, I was an arrogant brat. I assumed I'd be first, but the rankings said second, so I flipped out and challenged her to a ranking match."
"""Ooh? Hmm?"""
Something felt off. I glanced at Grandfather, who stared wistfully into space, while Grandmother ate with slightly flushed cheeks.
"I still remember that day. She whipped her beautiful brown hair as she beat the living daylights out of me and said..."
"""O... hmm... what?"""
"'Cocky little shit.'"
"""..."""
Uh... um...
"After that, her face kept popping into my head, so I chased her around challenging her to spars daily. At first, she told me to buzz off, but gradually, she'd smile at me—and man, was she pretty..."
Incredible romance-fantasy world. Witnessing the living proof of 'You're the first to treat me like this.'
"Come winter break of first year, I couldn't stop thinking of her, so at the second-year opening ceremony, I showed up at the knight department with flowers and confessed."
At the fiery love story, Jenia murmured her thoughts.
"Classic, but... hearing it, it's not bad..."
Veronica clasped her hands and chimed in.
"You two are so romantic!"
But Lancelot, whose romance cells had turned to madness, asked Grandmother.
"So, does Grandma still walk the path of the sword?"
To Lancelot, who looked ready to challenge her on the spot if yes, Grandfather said.
"Your grandma set down her sword when she got pregnant with the firstborn. Said her hands would get too rough and hurt the baby."
"""Whoa!"""
Amazed by Grandmother's maternal love, she blushed and said.
"And I wanted my child nowhere near a sword. I hoped they'd take up the pen instead. Yes... the pen..."
Grandmother glanced at me as she said it. I averted my eyes slightly.
She sighed once and continued.
"But the world doesn't go as planned... The firstborn took after my temper and his father's side, becoming a mage."
Thinking of Uncle, Grandmother gave a wistful smile before firming her resolve.
"So, Liam, I raised your mother to be a proper young lady. Surrounded only by good things, seeing only beauty, pure as snow—a perfect little princess..."
Grandmother's face soured with frustration.
"Then some bloodthirsty bastard came and gobbled her right up."
"Ah... Father?"
I flinched at the son-in-law bashing.
"Yes, but you turned out so well that my anger melted away. If not for him, I wouldn't have my precious puppies."
Grandmother, disarmed by grandchild love, seemed to accept Father.
I made a mental note to bring Serena next time.