Chapter 168
Chapter 168
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Side Story - Memories of a Certain Imperial Princess (16)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Hahahaha, what’s this? What is this?”
There was a reason I’d made Ast my exclusive butler.
Before Ast became my exclusive butler, I’d barely laughed once a year, if that.
But after Ast arrived, I could laugh like this.
“The best morning ever. I’ve never had a day this fun in my life!”
And today was even more entertaining than any other day.
“First off, let me offer my congratulations. Lea, you can finally get married.”
“Your Highness…”
I didn’t hide my bursting laughter as I watched their rotten expressions.
“It’s just as funny reading it again. ‘We are pushing forward with the engagement between Lea Lil Arais, Your Highness’s exclusive knight, and Ast de Lyrac, Your Highness’s exclusive butler. The Arais Marquis is quite something.”
Who knew a single letter could provide this much entertainment?
It was an unexpected treat.
“Your Highness, please refuse it.”
“Me? Why? This is a matter between the Arais family and Ast personally.”
“If Your Highness refuses, it’ll end cleanly.”
“Exactly, Your Highness!”
Both of them stared at me with desperate expressions.
This is fun. So much fun! I can’t just let an opportunity like this slip away!
“Oh, a match made in heaven! Pressuring me in perfect sync!”
With that, I clapped my hands and burst into laughter, causing their faces to turn utterly miserable.
“When’s the engagement ceremony? Oh, of course there’ll be a wedding too, right? You have to invite me. I’ll sincerely bless your future.”
“Your Highness…”
Lea, who would normally be on the verge of tears, wore an intensely serious expression.
“Congratulations, Lea. Now your worries are solved.”
“No thank you. I’d rather stay single forever than marry Sir Ast.”
“I don’t understand why you’d evaluate me that way—especially coming from Lady Lea—but I feel the same. Marriage to Lady Lea? Impossible unless I stay single until I’m 78.”
“What’s with that treatment? And putting that weird limit of ‘until 78’? Does that mean you’d accept it if you hit 78?”
“Yes, please hold out until I’m 78.”
“No way!”
“Eek! Does that mean you’ll pounce before then?”
“Are you joking even in this situation?!”
“I’m serious.”
“You’re even worse!”
“Hahahaha~”
Were these two trying to make me die laughing?
I laughed so hard I could barely breathe.
“Hahaha, this is the best! Laughing until tears come out—first time in my life!”
How long had it been since I last shed tears?
“Sending Lea’s report to the Arais family was the best decision ever.”
“Trusting Sir Ast and writing that report was the worst decision of my life.”
“My fault. I never thought Lea’s family would go this far to marry her off…”
I quietly watched Ast and Lea start bickering again.
Lea, with her endearing foolishness, and Ast, radiating pure villainy.
If these two had a child, who would it take after?
Lea? Ast? Or maybe Lea’s talents with Ast’s personality?
A swordmaster-level powerhouse with Ast’s personality.
That’d be a disaster.
“I’ll at least pretend to think about it.”
“Please, refuse it, Your Highness!”
The continent was already unstable with the war between the Mads en Kingdom and Helkas Kingdom.
I’d had my fun, so it was time to avert another disaster myself.
“I’ll refuse for a suitable reason. Don’t regret this later, Lea?”
“Abso! Lute! Ly!”
Watching Lea vow fiercely, I wrote a refusal letter to the Arais Marquis, full of regret.
“Lea, can’t we wait just one more week?”
“Your Highness!”
Ignoring Lea’s reaction out of pity, I wrote the letter.
“Tch, fine.”
Thanks to Lea’s intense pressure, I finished the letter and had a maid deliver it.
By tomorrow, the Arais Marquis would receive word that, regrettably, the marriage was refused.
That was the plan.
“What did you receive?”
“A challenge to a duel.”
“N-No way! Really, Sir Ast? For real?!”
After lunch, while Ast was wandering the palace for work, he returned with a duel challenge.
“To fight me for Lea?”
“Yes.”
“Who’s the opponent?”
“Unexpectedly, not a knight. Viscount Pereis del Fuques from the Foreign Ministry.”
“More details. You’ve investigated already, right?”
“Yes. I questioned maids, servants, and even noble ladies at social gatherings. Viscount Pereis del Fuques. Age 23. Highly regarded in the Foreign Ministry. Excellent reputation all around. His only flaw seems to be poor eyesight—enough to fancy Lady Lea.”
“What’s that supposed to mean about me?!”
I ignored Lea’s shrill voice.
That wasn’t important right now!
“Ast, hurry! Retrieve the letter I sent via the maid!”
“No need, Your Highness!”
With this entertaining event, I couldn’t let my letter end it prematurely.
“I already retrieved it.”
“Sir Ast?”
“Good job, Ast!”
As expected, quick on the uptake and efficient.
“Great. When’s the duel?”
“This afternoon, after work.”
“Location?”
“He didn’t get Your Highness’s permission, but we’re borrowing the same place where you met Sword Heaven Old Man last time.”
“Excellent choice. We can watch quietly, just us.”
“Indeed, Your Highness. Heh heh heh.”
“Right, Ast?”
“Your Highness? Sir Ast?!”
Ast and I leisurely enjoyed Lea’s panicked expression.
“Nothing left to do, so let’s wrap up quickly and head to the site?”
“Yes. As Lady Lea’s fiancé, I can’t keep the challenger waiting!”
Lea screamed at Ast’s bold declaration.
“Who’s your fiancée?!”
#21 Their Circumstances: The Circumstances of a Certain Villain.
“Hmm-hmm~”
Avoiding Lady Lea’s displeased glare, I recalled the morning’s events.
What a fresh experience.
Taking off your glove and throwing it in someone’s face!
A knight’s duel challenge! Kyaa~ Isn’t it just so cool?
Of course, if it were me on the receiving end, I’d never let it hit.
I’d dodge with all my might.
The knights in the palace are all top talents of the Empire.
One wrong move and you’re dead. Why fight geniuses?
Plus, most here are mana-enhanced prodigies from birth.
No swordmasters, but no need for aura blades to catch me.
Aura blade or sword aura—either means death.
But the moment I saw him—more precisely, the Foreign Ministry insignia on his lapel—
I nobly took the glove to the face.
“I challenge you to a duel. Baron Ast de Lyrac.”
My heart started pounding.
Why would this man challenge me?
Well, not many reasons, but the most recent one!
“If I win, cancel your engagement to Lady Lea!”
Oho! I suspected, and it’s true!
This guy wants to duel me over Lady Lea!
“Understood.”
“You’re different from the rumors…”
My polite demeanor shifted his expression slightly.
Of course I’d be polite.
He could be the last hope of a fellow office worker.
“I’m Viscount Pereis del Fuques of the Foreign Ministry. I heard you were rude and honorless, so I apologize for my rudeness.”
With graceful poise, he bowed slightly, making me feel like I’d done something wrong.
This is the Foreign Ministry? Wait, where’d he hear those rumors?
The princess? She must be the one spreading my villainous rumors!
No other explanation for a straight-laced guy like me getting such weird gossip!
“It’s fine. I accept your apology.”
I matched his lightning-quick organizational poise in accepting.
After that, we set time and place, and once he left, I gathered info everywhere and snatched the princess’s letter from the maid to prevent mishaps.
If the engagement talk vanished, he might apologize and cancel!
“Ah…”
“Lea, he looks normal on the outside?”
“H-He’s normal inside too!”
I heard Lady Lea’s quiet grumbling.
The red sunset was slowly sinking.
Against that backdrop entered Viscount Pereis, whom I’d been waiting for.
His handsome, likable face and sunset-tinted brown hair exuded great charm—eyes for Lady Lea aside.
“I challenged one of Your Highness’s retainers to a duel without warning. I sincerely apologize for not informing you sooner.”
“Yeah. It’s fine.”
He knelt on one knee, showing maximum respect to the princess, but her face screamed, “I know, so shut up and entertain me!”
“I’m grateful for your forgiveness of my rudeness. And… Lady Lea.”
“Y-Yes!”
Lady Lea, flushed redder than the sunset, trembled slightly as she looked at Viscount Pereis.
“I’m sorry for conveying my will in such a manner…”
“N-No, it’s fine.”
It was a cool scene, but Lady Lea’s expression made me want to tease her.
I pinched my thigh hard to stifle laughter, but who knew how long that’d last.
The princess’s lips twitched too—she was holding back laughs.
I’d tease Lea mercilessly after the duel.
“And Sir Ast, forgive me, but Lady Lea… I’ll take her back!”
“Ooh!”
Impressive. Drawing that reaction from the princess!
Rare indeed!
Well, she’d made a similar noise when the Arais family announced our engagement!
“It’s fine.”
If I let him keep apologizing, the sun would set, so I quietly drew my sword.
“Since I’ve accepted the duel, let’s let our swords speak.”
“Indeed.”
He too drew his sword quietly.
Plan: Gauge his skill lightly, force him to give up on Lea like in a hot-blooded drama. If he says something embarrassing, I’d have material to tease Lea for a month.
Foreign Ministry worker? Unless he’s the protagonist, he can’t be strong, right?
No hidden swordmasters here, right?
“Ah…”
That thought vanished after a few clashes.
Not because he suddenly unleashed an aura blade and charged.
No, one swing showed he’d barely held a sword before.
My past master said it:
Some don’t swing the sword—they’re swung by it.
Even beginners aren’t accepted if they’re like that.
Not a greatsword, but a standard one, and still swung by it? Means zero talent!
Damn, no more cool scene.
In that case.
“You think this level can beat me?”
“Urk!”
“Challenging a fight you can’t win! Foolish!”
“Urk… But… But!”
I struck just enough to keep his grip, activating Villainy, Thou Art Drunk.
“But, what?”
“I can’t give up on Lady Lea!”
“Urk!”
I lightly bumped swords and staggered back for effect.
“Give up?”
“I… respect Lady Lea.”
I glanced at the princess and Lea.
The princess got my act; Lea clasped her hands in prayer.
Praying I lose?
“Respect? That’s why you challenged me?”
I teased lightly. Not yet. Respect won’t satisfy everyone!
“Respect… No, I love Lady Lea!”
His bold shout came with a messy slash.
But the words were cool, so pass.
“Urk!”
At clash, I twisted his wrist slightly, sending his sword flying skyward.
“I lost.”
“Haa… Haa… Haa…”
Not long, but sweating and panting, Viscount Pereis acknowledged defeat.
He stared at his sword in disbelief.
No surprise. Zero talent.
Don’t gawk at your sword like that? Me, talented?! No need for such faces.
I went easy; it’d be weird if he didn’t realize his skill gap.
“My… victory… Urk…”
He raised his sword for a heroic pose, but exhaustion hit.
Unable to bear the weight, Viscount Pereis staggered and fell.
“V-Viscount Pereis!”
Seeing Lea rush to him in panic reaffirmed it: workplace bonds mean nothing.
“Great performance with full commitment. Good work, Ast.”
“Tiring, but now Lady Lea has hope too.”
“Yeah. Right?”
I watched the two—weak but pink-tinged—with a proud smile.
Viscount Pereis del Fuques.
Lady Lea’s first and last lover, in my memory.
And the name that would drag the Empire into the Great War.