Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: The Ball (8)
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Lady Martina, Aruru, and Louise.
Upon returning to my seat, I blankly watched their chatter.
“Your Highness, your dance was ever so elegant.”
“That’s only because the Hero led me so perfectly.”
*Your son is absolutely amazing!*
It wasn’t quite like that, but for some reason, that’s how it sounded.
“Aruru, how was I?”
“You were the absolute best. I got to live vicariously through you.”
The little fox beastkin was too small to dance.
It seemed she had indulged in some fantasy through the princess.
“Master, I want to see you dance!”
“Oh my, why is that?”
“I feel like your charm could magnificently dominate this ball.”
She wagged her tail, desperately trying to flatter her.
The idea wasn't entirely unrealistic, which made it slightly terrifying.
That was how difficult it was to gauge Lady Martina’s prowess.
On a normal day, it might be different, but right now, she possessed the best qualities of both a young maiden and a noble lady.
If she were to draw upon her prime abilities, she would undoubtedly produce a formidable result.
Hmm, what to do?
I should probably stop her, but a part of me was curious.
She was a legend who had defined an era; I couldn't help but have expectations.
“That might be a bit difficult. He isn’t here right now…”
“Hmm, wouldn’t it be fine if Jace was your partner?”
“—?”
My dear little cutie.
What are you talking about? Why are you suddenly dragging me into this?
To get straight to the point… it was possible.
Depending on the situation, a son escorting his mother was a form of etiquette.
“My son, what do you think?”
“…”
She smiled playfully, her eyes crinkling.
Her intention to gauge my reaction was obvious.
She’s an old lady… in reality, she’s just an old lady.
But she was so well-dressed right now that her beauty rivaled that of the heroines.
And of all things, in a pure and delicate style…
I felt a captivating charm I couldn’t resist.
What should I do? I think I’m going to lose my mind.
If I said no, she would show her disappointment.
She might even shed a tear in secret.
As someone who ought to be filial, that was an option to be avoided.
But to readily accept… it felt a little off!
It would look like I was falling for the seduction of a young, beautiful lady, wouldn't it?
I carefully observed the reactions around me.
The most noticeable was the fox beastkin, looking up at me with sparkling eyes.
*You’re going to accept, of course, right?*
*Please, become material for my fantasies!*
That was the vibe she gave off, but I would ignore her this time.
What mattered was what the other girls thought.
I had a feeling, but for the most part, they seemed to be in agreement.
It seemed that because they liked me, they were willing to respect Lady Martina’s wishes.
In any case, no one was openly against it.
They seemed to think it wasn’t all that strange.
Right, it was just my imagination…
A son can spend time with his mom, can’t he?
I slowly steeled my resolve.
This could be a good opportunity to be a filial son.
It was time to act, not just talk.
My gentle and elegant mother.
Your son is ready.
Please, use this body you birthed as you wish…
Just as I was about to say so, an aura I couldn't possibly defy washed over me.
Lady Martina’s eyes narrowed.
As if to claim she'd always been the type to keep her eyes slitted, she glared fiercely at her son.
“—!”
I instinctively understood.
Her true intention was the complete opposite…
*My son.*
*Take a joke as a joke.*
*Must I, at my age, be compared to these blossoming young ladies?*
This time, it wasn’t just a guess.
The message—*don’t do anything stupid*—was forcefully conveyed to me.
Perhaps because we were connected by blood.
It felt as if I could hear my mother’s warning spoken aloud.
Well, that made sense.
Ceria, Esterize, Louise, and the others were all outstanding beauties.
They were powerhouses that Lady Martina couldn’t guarantee a victory against, even in her prime…
A head-on confrontation was bound to be burdensome.
As if having once been a legend was enough, she intended to bow out gracefully.
From the beginning, she had no intention of doing anything.
She had merely been swept up in Aruru’s sudden, hopeful wish.
“…”
“…”
In the fleeting moment our eyes met.
The mother and son instantly came to an agreement.
“Ah, now that I think about it, you must be tired. You’ve been dancing one after another, so get some rest.”
“Hmm, that’s a shame. I still have some energy left, but… I will follow my mother’s wishes.”
We both smiled disingenuously at the same time.
The atmosphere around us grew subtle, perhaps because it was different from what they had expected, but we brazenly pretended not to notice.
The girls fell silent, trying to grasp the flow of the situation.
Amidst it all, our little cutie tilted her head and muttered to herself.
“Huh? Jace has tons of stamina, so he should be fine?”
It wasn’t that she was clueless.
She knew, but she just wasn’t trying.
She was flaunting her cuteness with a whatever-happens-happens attitude, which was quite impudent.
“Something like this is nothing to… mph!”
Food was stuffed into Aruru’s mouth.
Lady Martina had acted swiftly.
Only then did Aruru seem to realize something, quietly dedicating herself to her task.
Peace, barely restored.
We enjoyed the atmosphere of the ball as if nothing had happened.
I might have missed a good opportunity, but what did it matter?
I would simply wait with a happy heart for the occasional hug.
“…”
Some might misunderstand, but it was nothing strange.
It’s the natural order of things for a son to long for his mother’s embrace, isn’t it?
It was a principle as certain as a law of the universe, and thus, I had nothing to be ashamed of.
That aside… our little cutie.
Why are you resting? Are you starting to get full?
Perhaps sensing my gaze.
She offered her head, as if asking to be petted.
Instead of petting her, I pinched the girl’s chubby cheek and pulled.
You know what you did.
Lady Martina was on the verge of snapping.
You may not have had bad intentions, but a mistake is a mistake…
“—??”
She protested her innocence with an aggrieved expression.
You don’t know? Then you’ll be punished until you do.
Only after finishing my task did I turn my head toward the stage.
The dance time was still ongoing.
Among the many people dancing, one pair in particular stood out.
The Second Prince and Ilensia.
As a handsome couple, they drew the most attention.
It wasn't that they were doing anything particularly flashy.
The elf maiden was almost fully humanized, but she hadn’t learned how to dance.
That said, she wasn’t a complete mess.
She had probably observed others dancing.
Furthermore, the Second Prince was leading her with all his heart.
With her elven agility and his skill, she was somehow managing the basics.
Ultimately, the reason she was garnering so much attention was solely due to her appearance.
People were captivated not by her dancing skills, but by the unique, mystical charm of an elf.
If nothing else, her visuals were certainly magnificent.
One could sculpt a statue of a goddess using her form as a reference.
But what good was that? When her personality was so goofy…
Of course, the Second Prince would probably still be grinning like an idiot even if he knew.
However, the elf maiden's expression didn’t look very pleased.
She wore a bright smile, but it felt forced.
Because she didn’t like her partner? Hmm, I doubt that was it.
If I were a 100, the Second Prince was about a 95.
Both were S-class, so there wasn’t much of a difference.
It was a level where personal preference, like with my companions, was meaningless.
And yet, for some reason, she didn't look happy.
My god, just how high are her standards?
Of course, since she herself was a 100, it wasn't that strange.
An elf’s standards would naturally be different…
Perhaps she was simply bored with the act of dancing itself.
Maybe she tried it and found it wasn't for her?
In any case, this is the path you chose, so endure it well.
If you thought becoming an empress would be easy, you were gravely mistaken.
I was about to lose interest.
But since Ilensia was one of the main players, I had no choice but to keep watching.
***
Ilensia was lost in thought.
The Second Prince, Karl, was a man befitting his title.
They had only spent half a day together, but she could get a general sense of him.
He had a refreshing personality and good manners.
She also liked that he had a strong physique, not like a scholar.
He was far more handsome than the slender, almost feminine elf men.
Before she left the elven domain, she hadn't cared much, but experiencing the human world had changed her values.
“I heard you were also a Hero candidate?”
“Yes, that’s true, but…”
“To have displayed such exceptional skill among the handpicked talents is truly amazing.”
Ilensia had been called a prodigy among the elves.
Her potential was quite outstanding, so she managed well enough at the Hero Academy.
She had intended to dominate(?) the inferior humans with elven superiority.
But the powerful individuals she later met, those considered Hero candidates, were all formidable.
Every time she faced them, she felt a wall.
She tasted the bitterness of defeat so often that being classified in the same league felt meaningless.
In a situation where her pride was bound to fall.
She eventually gathered followers who looked up to her and formed a faction.
She didn't plan on doing anything specific, but it satisfied a minimum level of pride.
Of course, it couldn’t be a fundamental solution.
What was the big deal about being a Hero candidate? She was in the lower ranks…
She had tried to prove the superiority of elves, but she was on the verge of proving the opposite.
Jace, Esterize, Aruru.
The strength of those in the top ranks, in particular, was beyond compare.
It was enough to make her feel a sense of defeat, that she could never win.
The annoying fox beastkin was a matter of compatibility, so she let it slide.
Esterize tended to wander around outside, so they rarely crossed paths.
That left one person, Jace, for her to analyze.
A powerhouse who overwhelmed everyone by displaying near-perfect swordsmanship.
He was the only human male she acknowledged.
He had treated her kindly, but that was all.
He showed no sign of seeing her as a woman, as if she were just a friend.
Why? How could that be? I’m the most beautiful in the world.
He had a fiancée, but even considering that, his attitude was remarkably consistent.
The unwavering dignity of a young nobleman.
In a slightly different sense, it sparked a desire to challenge him.
She wanted to make him see her as someone special.
And then one day.
Jace was in a mysterious accident and began to break.
Buried in despair, he ended up committing all sorts of atrocities like a scoundrel.
Only bad rumors were heard.
So she intentionally closed her ears.
She didn’t want to witness the fall of the only human she had acknowledged.
Time flowed on.
Jace miraculously made a comeback.
It was uncertain if he would regain his peak strength.
But there was an expectation that he would achieve something.
A thought suddenly occurred to her.
She couldn’t let Jace be taken from her.
There were also some Hero candidates who viewed him unfavorably.
Perhaps this was a golden opportunity.
A calculation that if she protected him while he was still weak, everything would work out…
So she ended up committing an act akin to kidnapping.
Because of that, his attitude toward her changed quite a bit.
An irreversible mistake.
An unspoken distance had formed between them, but he still took care of her when it mattered.
He felt more reliable than before, and in the end, he became the Hero.
Becoming Jace’s companion was good, but Ilensia felt a sense of unease.
*Doesn’t my presence feel too faint?*
Why on earth did he only dote on Aruru?
Ceria was his fiancée, so that was understandable.
But compared to the others, she could feel a subtle difference in temperature.
What was the problem?
After much thought, Ilensia became the Second Prince’s partner.
There were several reasons, but her main purpose was to observe Jace's reaction.
However, it was far from what she had expected.
She thought he would at least show some hostility toward the Second Prince.
But far from showing displeasure, he seemed to be cheering them on.
It was a situation that couldn't help but be infuriating.
Ilensia suppressed her anger and focused on the man before her.
“Spirits, swordsmanship, and even archery… You have so many talents. If I have the chance, I would love to see them.”
She had a considerable conversation with the Second Prince.
In the process, she realized many things.
A kind man.
A gentlemanly attitude that knew how to be considerate of women.
The pride of the elves, which had hit rock bottom, began to swell.
*Yes, this is right.*
*It's only natural that you cater to my feelings, isn't it?*
She was very satisfied.
The Second Prince's words and actions were flawless.
It seemed like a good idea to maintain this connection.
But.
Ilensia could not ignore another truth.
No matter how great the Second Prince was, he couldn't measure up to Jace.
Even without the title of Hero, Jace was overwhelmingly more splendid.
She became certain of this fact when the dance time began.
The girls dancing with Jace.
Every single one of them looked like they were dying of happiness.
Those ecstatic expressions were not something that could be faked.
The Second Prince was a handsome man by anyone's standards.
However, dancing with him didn’t make her heart pound in the slightest.
The elf maiden then looked back on herself.
If possible, she wanted to have the best man.
At this rate, she felt she wouldn’t be able to sleep out of sheer frustration.
It seemed she wouldn't be satisfied until she tried something, come what may.
“May I be excused for a moment?”
After asking for the Second Prince’s understanding, Ilensia slowly walked toward the table where Jace was sitting.