Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: The Ball (6)
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Shudder…
With a trembling heart, I placed my hand on Ceria's waist.
She was a girl I could embrace whenever I wished, but today she felt especially lovely.
The romantic atmosphere of the ball.
Her appearance, dolled up for the occasion, was breathtakingly enchanting.
She seemed to feel the same way.
Her eyes sparkled, as if she had been looking forward to this moment.
“It's been a long time. It brings back memories.”
Jace had spent a lot of time with Ceria.
Swordsmanship training was only a part of it; they had also learned the etiquette of the nobility together.
A long time ago…
Back when they were as small as Aruru.
The boy and girl had danced together, using each other as practice partners.
They were very young, but old enough to harbor feelings of affection.
And so, time passed, leading to this moment.
The two lovers, now grown, faced each other…
An inexplicable, ardent fondness blossomed in their exchanged gazes.
We naturally synchronized our movements.
A relationship where we knew everything about each other.
Soon, as we performed a near-perfect dance, everyone cheered enthusiastically.
The girl held onto me, refusing to let go, as if she were the happiest person in the world.
With an excited expression, Ceria even executed bold moves.
*Ah, what do I do… I love this so much!*
A state of uncontrollable excitement.
Her mood reached its peak, beyond control.
Dancing with the princess was nice, but this moment was inevitably more special.
I prayed earnestly in my heart.
For this bond to continue. To be able to spend my entire life with her…
* * *
Esterize stared blankly at the center of the stage.
There, Jace and Ceria were dancing.
It was an incomparably beautiful sight, but the girl's heart ached as if with indigestion.
‘How can they shine so brightly…’
Their synchronization was so perfect it was captivatingly fantastic.
It seemed that was what it meant to be lovers who had spent a long time together.
No matter how she looked at it, there seemed to be no room for her to do anything.
Beyond that, she couldn't even muster the courage to try.
Jace was a close friend.
She'd had little contact with Ceria before, but they had grown closer one way or another.
She wished for their happiness.
She wished for their love to be eternal.
Though she should only harbor such thoughts, a wicked feeling would suddenly emerge.
‘…I want to be happy too.’
Esterize briefly reflected on herself.
Her number one principle was still to defeat the Demon King's Army.
Thus, the process of rebuilding her kingdom was more important than anything else.
She had lived her life looking only toward that goal.
By finally becoming a Hero, she had achieved her minimum goal.
Of course, there was still a long way to go.
If she had been alone, she wouldn't have had the luxury of idle thoughts, but as it happened, there were two Heroes.
Jace Crodain.
A man who had suited the title of Hero even as a candidate.
The only strong one she had acknowledged, unlike the other candidates.
At some point, she had begun to want to lean on his reliability.
Esterize realized her resolve had grown lax.
It shouldn't be that way, but given the circumstances, it was unavoidable.
‘I've tried as hard as I could…’
From the fall of her kingdom until now.
The girl had been ceaselessly doing something.
Wandering from place to place, there was almost nothing she hadn't done.
She had truly endured all sorts of hardships.
She herself was certain that no one had lived a life as unfortunate as hers.
‘So… it should be okay to have a few other thoughts, right?’
Becoming a Hero was all well and good.
It meant all her efforts had paid off.
However, in making that effort, she had thrown away her entire blooming youth.
Depending on one's perspective, it wasn't too late now, but it still felt regrettable.
Her teenage years, a time for dreaming of this and that, had passed in vain.
Only now did the girl begin to suffer the heartache of liking someone.
Jace already had someone, so she should look for another, but it wasn't that simple a problem.
There was no man more wonderful than him.
That thought was gradually turning into a conviction.
The sons of nobles, and even the imperial princes, were no match for him.
An unparalleled, superior dignity.
Beyond his tall, handsome appearance, everything about him was perfect.
A reliability that made it seem like he could handle anything.
The caring charm and responsibility with which he meticulously looked after his companions.
That image of him giving hope to everyone was bound to stir feelings of love.
As her anguish deepened, a girl stealthily approached and let out a cry of admiration.
“Wow! What a fantastic dance. The Hero is truly a Hero. He seems to glitter all by himself. Don't you think so too?”
“…”
Imperial Princess Louise.
She, who admired the Hero, stood beside Esterize.
“How was it?”
“Pardon?”
“You danced with the Hero too, didn't you? I want to hear what it was like in advance.”
“…”
The princess had merely asked out of curiosity.
But Esterize was reminded of Ceria's mischievous teasing.
*Why are you doing this too?*
*Stop tormenting me…*
She couldn't very well reveal such feelings.
Esterize forced a smile and said.
“Well, it was… nice.”
“That's not a happy expression.”
“…Seeing that scene just drains me somehow.”
She had certainly been incomparably happy at the time.
But the moment she saw Jace and Ceria dance, her thoughts changed.
The feeling that she was no match for them…
The gap was so vast that she had to accept defeat.
Suddenly, Louise abruptly took Esterize's hand.
“You danced wonderfully too, you know?”
“Pardon?”
“It's true. I couldn't take my eyes off the sight of the two Heroes together. It was absolutely the best.”
“…”
The girl stared intently at her.
No matter how she looked at it, it didn't seem like empty words.
A somewhat excessive favor.
She had heard directly from her that she admired the Hero.
But Esterize didn't know that admiration would apply to her as well.
“Your subtle, flowing grace… it was truly befitting of a princess.”
“—!!”
“If I had been born an imperial prince, I might have confessed to you…”
“—??”
“Well, it just means I'm very interested.”
The princess, smiling broadly, leaned in closer.
Esterize grew wary, as if she felt threatened.
Louise immediately noticed this and adopted a serious tone.
“I'm not just saying this for no reason. I only respect those who are worthy of it. You are a far greater person than I.”
“Those are heavy words. I've only just become a Hero; I haven't accomplished anything yet…”
“No. I'm sure you were doing something.”
“…”
“Even if not, you'll soon be active. As a Hero, you are destined to achieve the great feat of saving thousands, tens of thousands… no, everyone. That's something absolutely impossible for me.”
The princess genuinely thought so.
If she were to act, how many people in distress could she really help?
No matter what she did, her limit was at most tens to hundreds of people.
In contrast, a Hero would save tens of thousands, counting both direct and indirect influence.
That sacrifice deserved praise.
Respect couldn't help but well up inside her.
“You are strong and beautiful. Although I have lived a life of abundance as an imperial princess, I am actually envious of you.”
A relentless barrage of compliments.
Esterize felt dizzy.
*Why on earth is she acting like this?*
*At this point, it's beyond embarrassing; it's humiliating.*
In truth, she had figured out the reason long ago.
“My expression must have been too gloomy. It seems you've said these nice things to cheer me up, and I'm truly grateful. Still, saying you're envious of me might be a bit of an overstatement…”
“But I'm serious.”
“—??”
“Just being able to be by the Hero's side is enough to make me so envious.”
“…”
Esterize slowly mulled over those words.
Something she had taken for granted was a condition of envy for someone else…
“Especially you, you'll stand shoulder to shoulder with the Hero. A relationship where you trust and rely on each other, watching each other's backs… I think that's a very cool dynamic.”
Esterize was gradually enveloped in a strange feeling.
It was as if she were in a special relationship with Jace.
Well, if you really thought about it, it wasn't entirely untrue.
From ancient times, there had only been one Hero per era.
This might be the first time two Heroes were chosen.
‘The only two Heroes in the world…’
It had a nice ring to it.
It seemed to emphasize a special bond.
A thought suddenly occurred to her.
She didn't know why, but Jace cherished her.
He was kind to everyone, but if you compared, there was a clear difference in warmth.
Second or third.
If she were to set strict standards, it would be third…
‘Hmm, Aruru should be an exception.’
That cuteness was cheating.
It was right to exclude the fox beastkin from the calculation.
By that logic, she came to the conclusion that she was second.
Far behind the first, Ceria.
But still, she was right below her. In other words, if she were to do something, her chances were the highest.
“You finally understand!”
“…I haven't said anything yet.”
“I can tell just by your silly grin.”
“…”
Esterize realized another fact.
That she was the type whose inner thoughts were plain to see…
Of course, the princess's sharp perception also played a part.
Anyway.
Her despair vanished, and a certain hope filled the void.
It was too early to give up.
What would change if she just agonized over it by herself?
Regardless of the outcome, she wanted to reveal her feelings and get it off her chest.
“I'll be cheering for you! I hope you achieve what you desire.”
“Um, are you really saying that knowing everything?”
“Of course. I'm a girl in my prime too, why wouldn't I know?”
How should she put it.
Esterize felt like she had made a friend.
A slightly troublesome friend.
Her attitude was unknowingly burdensome, but this too might be a good connection.
The girls stood side by side, looking straight ahead.
The sight of the two lovers dancing affectionately was still dazzling.
Esterize briefly checked her own state.
Perhaps thanks to the princess's encouragement, she was now calm, unlike before.
As if she had never been in pain, she even had the leeway to fall into a fantasy.
A sweet… a very sweet dream.
She had no intention of stealing Ceria's place.
However.
She wanted to try perching on the edge of it.
‘Alright. From now on, I'll be confident anytime, anywhere…’
Her pathetic image.
The girl was aware of it, but it had become a habit she couldn't easily change.
Still, she had to change now.
To match Jace's dignity, she had to act like a princess…
No, wait a minute…
Could it be that?
A suspicion popped into the girl's head.
Jace would sometimes look at her with a wistful gaze.
Thinking back, it happened whenever she was acting pathetic.
In those moments, his attention was focused on her.
It felt a little guilty, but on the other hand, she secretly liked it.
But…
If she stopped acting pathetic, would his interest plummet?
“…”
She knew it was a strange thought, but…
You never know, right? It's making me anxious…!
Finding that side of herself so pathetic.
The girl couldn't help but make her usual tearful face.