Chapter 164
Chapter 164
Sweetness is the best means to relieve the immediate stress at hand.
With that creed, Freesia picked up the egg tart she loved so much.
The savory yet moist custard.
The crust that cuts through a momentary greasiness.
The harmonious sweetness those two made together.
It was, as Freesia had expected, unquestionably delicious — but…
—What should I do…!
The stress relief Freesia had hoped for was nowhere to be found.
The more she rolled the egg tart on her tongue, the more one thought kept coming back.
“I want your daughter.”
That single line she had just heard in the conversation with her mother.
Naturally, her cheeks flamed red.
It felt as if dozens of butterflies filled her whole body.
She clamped her eyes shut at the fluttering sensation.
“Huh, calm down. First, just one more tart…”
She let herself be briefly intoxicated by the sweetness that melted in her mouth, but his voice came back to her and made her ears twitch with a start.
‘Come to think of it, it was like that when we first met…’
A strange man. She had been so surprised when he’d popped out of the monster’s mouth and brazenly demanded a cleansing spell.
That brazen attitude had been the same from their first meeting until now.
Yes — even just now, when he had gone so far as to boldly ask her mother for her.
Flap, flap—
“Freesia, are you all right? Your face looks flushed. Your ears are moving up and down…”
“Hya?! Ah, no! I was just thinking about something else for a moment… Thank you for worrying about me!”
She bowed her head to the noble lady who showed concern. Of course she was grateful, but she didn’t want to show her current embarrassed state.
“Be careful. I heard you’ll be classmates with us.”
“Huh?”
“Oh my, you haven’t heard? I didn’t think you hadn’t told her yourself.”
The noble girl with violet hair smiled and answered.
“A moment ago, Duke Daimon said so. The Daimon ducal house will urgently grant the Evergreen family a baronial title. Hehe—so will we have to call you Lady Evergreen?”
“M-me, a noble? A baronial family?”
Just as the sudden news made her head spin, a familiar name drifted to her ears.
“By the way, I wonder which faction Lady Freesia will join. The baronial title is Duke Daimon’s authority, but I heard it was Hans Byron who proposed it and recommended your Academy admission…”
A light sparked in Freesia’s previously blank eyes.
Hans Byron. Another name for Frost Mane.
“Hans Byron?!”
“Hmm. Judging by that reaction, it seems you’re not tied to our aristocratic faction,” the girl said with a faint sigh and turned away.
“Well, if you ever change your mind and decide to join the nobility faction, come to me. Your presence would surely be a great help to us…”
Her subtle urging did not reach Freesia. Of course — she had only one concern.
Hans Byron. She kept repeating that man’s name with her lips.
‘He kept his promise…’
Western warm sands, eastern cool seas, northern cold snows, and even the bustling streets of the central lands — she wanted to see them all.
But she was an elf, a race somewhat unfamiliar to humans; if she traveled alone, she would surely receive wary glances.
Yet he had created a convenient status for her, made noble contacts, persuaded nobles and her mother to open contact with humans, and even arranged a noble title now.
Each of those was an absurd feat. Meanwhile, the most she had done for him was help with the beastmen base and thwarting slave hunters.
So naturally she thought—
‘Could it be he likes me…?’
The moment that thought arrived, the burning heat rose to her ears.
She herself felt some affection for him.
At first he was simply a suspicious human — but the instrument that would show her the world.
Seeing him persuade her mother and challenge the Divine Archer, she had been struck by something bright in him.
“But Divine Archer, aren’t you living too much in the past?”
“Primrose Evergreen. Times have changed. Compared to you, trapped in the past and the forest, your daughter who actively steps out into the world has brought positive change to the elves.”
Seeing the Divine Archer — the veteran warrior admired by elves — being slowly persuaded, she thought, ‘Amazing….’
For some reason, Freesia couldn’t help but imagine that same light she had seen in her mother emitting from him as well.
And now, Frost Mane had…
‘What should I say to refuse—?!’
She was an elf. Compared to humans, their lifespan spanned hundreds, sometimes thousands of years. Being of a high-elven line and the blood of a leader, marriage to a human was not something to be lightly considered.
But, if it was just romance… perhaps it would be acceptable even between human and elf.
Freesia’s eyes went dreamy. The sweet, tender images of lovers she had read in many books occupied her mind.
Her pure white unpainted canvas was being tinted with vivid pink crayon.
“Lady Evergreen, do you have a moment?”
While lost in thought, a man approached her.
“Ah, Your Highness the Crown Prince…”
The most exalted human of all: a young man with striking blue hair reached out a hand.
“Would you like to dance with me?”
“…Huh?”
A completely unexpected proposal. Freesia tilted her head and replied honestly.
“I don’t really know human dances…”
“Huh. Convincing an old fossil was tough.”
After tirelessly explaining to the Divine Archer why Freesia should be sent to the Academy—
“…You have won.”
“You mean you’ll permit it?”
“Yes. It’s Freesia’s wish, after all. And it’s better she travel with you than with other humans.”
Even as she answered, the Divine Archer’s voice sounded as if she’d used up all her energy. She even shut her eyes tight as if she were tired of looking on.
“You won’t regret Divine Archer’s choice.”
“…As before, don’t you think you’re choosing words likely to be misunderstood?”
“What do you mean?”
I tilted my head in puzzlement. I had meant it as ‘she will become stronger than you and return’, but who knows how she had interpreted it.
But the Divine Archer turned her head away without further comment. She had no intention of more conversation. I shrugged and stepped out into the banquet hall.
“Even then, the old fossil and you — you sure use a lot of slang I don’t hear otherwise.”
“People have to pick up argot to get along. Sometimes it’s easier to communicate that way.”
Of course, use slang only where appropriate.
“Hans.”
For example, when meeting Luciana, it’s best to avoid slang. I pushed the frivolous words from my mind and reminded myself of my identity as the loyal retainer Hans.
“Lady Luciana.”
“The dispatched class in the South is almost over.”
We faced each other briefly and then, as if without deciding who would first, we both chuckled and clinked our wineglasses.
“Thank you for your work this time. Because you covered my back, we were able to end the assignment smoothly.”
“You flatter me.”
“Ha, you know I always say — too much modesty is deception.”
‘Ha.’
I tried to retort but froze on the spot. Luciana lifting her head, the slender nape faintly visible between her silver hair — the sight was breathtaking.
She shook her glass lightly and showed a deeper look.
“Also, the Golden Duke praised you.”
“You had a private talk?”
“Ah — joking aside, I never thought he’d say he was jealous.”
Ah — about me? Luciana’s beautiful blue eyes turned toward me with a more profound gaze as she sipped her wine.
“You’ve made it clear that your retainer’s competence is proof of the master’s authority.”
“I will not disappoint you going forward.”
“Whatever. If you keep doing as you have, that will be more than enough for me.”
Genuine praise from one’s favorite character — my shoulders rose with pride.
Ahem.
I forced down the urge to bounce and made a small report to Luciana.
She glanced over to a corner of the banquet hall — the tea table where most guests gathered.
Among the colorful swatches of fabric, the young elf who had already taken multiple egg tarts bit into another one.
“Lady Freesia is entering the Academy?”
“If judged by grades, she’ll be a pretty tough rival, but also a dependable ally.”
“So that means the Imperial Faction, eh?”
I nodded at her words. Truly, teach one and ten will understand.
“Well, even if she joins, I have no intention of giving up the top spot.”
“Same here. I don’t intend to give up the second seat.”
“Hehe, good. For you to aim higher, you have to remain second.”
Clink—.
Luciana and I clinked our glasses; the clear sound rang out.
We were about to enjoy the quiet atmosphere and sip our wine when—
“……”
“……!”
The murmur in the hall swelled.
“Hm? What’s this?”
“I’ll go check.”
Sensing the current was part of a retainer’s duty. If there was something to report to Luciana, I naturally joined the crowd.
What I saw there was—
“Uh, excuse me? Did I do something wrong?”
An elf who looked quite embarrassed. And in front of them, the Crown Prince with his fists clenched, trembling.
“My goodness… Is this the second time he’s been refused?”
“The Crown Prince’s face will be ruined! Surely he was rejected even by a different species?”
The crowd’s reactions were a spectacle. It seemed Freesia had refused the Crown Prince’s dance request.
Pfft. This is getting delightfully interesting.
For Freesia, refusing the Crown Prince might lead to future trouble and persecution, which was unfortunate, but personally I was thoroughly satisfied. The Crown Prince being publicly spurned — splendid.
A competent talent indeed. To deliver such a big rebuke the moment she enrolled in the Academy — how wonderful.
Since he was humiliated, why not rub it in a bit more?
“Oh? Freesia, are you intent on being the star of this banquet again?”
“Ah! Hans!”
Freesia approached me with a happy expression.
“W-What should we do? The mood’s gone a bit sour.”
“That’s only natural. The Crown Prince annoyed everyone with his poor dancing.”
I extended a white-gloved hand subtly toward her.
“That won’t do. Dancing is a basic quality of the nobility. Now that your family has a baronial name, let me accompany you.”
“…You mean you’re asking me to dance?”
“Precisely: not a proposal, but that I teach you so as not to bother the others.”
Intimate to appear, but spoken so no one else could hear, I whispered to Freesia and curled one corner of my lips.
“Yay! I actually want to ask you that!”
How do you like that, Crown Prince? The one you rejected has already accepted Hans’s offer.
“Hans, Byron…!”
“Do not worry. I will properly educate the foreigner who embarrassed the Crown Prince.”
Sweet, sweet. Watching the jealous glares and the Crown Prince fume made everything taste even sweeter than the tarts and cakes piled up.
However—
“Uhm, like this…?”
“No, then the steps would be off. Move in time with me—agh!”
“S-Sorry! I’m just not used to it!”
Aside from teasing the Crown Prince, Freesia danced terribly. My feet were sacrificed several times by her sharp stomps…
“—Hans?”
How should she take this?
Luciana pushed aside whatever emotions she had and vented them with her hand.
…Crack. Without realizing it, the fracture in the wineglass spread and shards of broken glass fell to the banquet hall floor.