Chapter 17: Sudden Turn of Events!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 17: Sudden Turn of Events!
Knock, knock.
A sudden rapping at the door echoed through the room.
Celicia’s final farewell remained unfinished. Her slender hand, which had been slowly tightening, froze in place. She turned toward the door, a flash of clear displeasure crossing her eyes.
"Tell whoever is out there to leave," Celicia commanded Muen coldly.
"I can't."
Muen shook his head vigorously. "This room is soundproof. Aside from the knocking, no sound can get in, and naturally, no sound from inside can get out."
"..."
Celicia’s brow furrowed slightly. She stared at Muen, seemingly lost in thought.
Ultimately, however, she withdrew the hands that could have brought Muen death at any moment and slowly stood up.
"I shall spare your life for now."
"Th—thank you?"
"Put your clothes on and open the door."
"Ri—right away."
Feeling as though he had just been granted a divine reprieve after dancing on the edge of the grave several times, Muen scrambled up. He grabbed his clothes from the side and began throwing them on.
The custom-made formal suit, weighing a full twenty kilograms, was incredibly difficult to put on. Had Muen not watched the maid dress him from start to finish earlier, he would likely be at a total loss now, unable to even figure out where his limbs went.
Even so, in his frantic haste, he nearly put his undershirt on backward several times.
It was a massive waste of time.
As he was dressing, he heard the rustle of fabric from behind him.
The sound involuntarily brought back memories of the "wonderful" moments from just moments ago...
"If you dare look back, I will kill you right here, regardless of who is outside," Celicia’s cold voice rang out from behind him.
"..." Muen shuddered and lowered his head, focusing entirely on his battle with the formal suit.
*
Once he was dressed, the sounds behind him had completely ceased. Muen finally couldn't resist stealing a glance back.
At that moment, Celicia was sitting gracefully on the sofa. She had condensed a sheet of ice in her hand to serve as a mirror, using it to tidy her silver-white hair.
Her simple yet noble white dress clung perfectly to the exquisite curves of her body, radiating a heart-stopping beauty. There wasn't a single crease or sign of disarray to be seen.
If Muen’s legs weren't still feeling a bit weak, he might have thought the entire preceding encounter had been nothing more than a beautiful dream.
"Wait."
Just as Muen was about to open the door, Celicia suddenly called out to him. She produced an exquisitely crafted bottle of perfume and sprayed it several times into the air.
Celicia took a sniff, and only after confirming that the "peculiar scent" in the air had vanished did she nod.
"Go."
*
Muen walked to the door.
After the series of events and the multiple brushes with death he had just experienced, Muen’s heart was finally beginning to find a semblance of calm.
However, he felt none of the joy one might expect after surviving a disaster.
The plot had completely veered off the tracks of the original novel, hurtling down a path of reckless self-destruction.
The only paths left for Muen now were to be killed by Celicia’s own hand, to be hanged by an enraged King, or, as in his prophetic dream, to suffer death by a thousand cuts at the hands of an unknown assailant.
Every single one was a dead end.
"So, Protagonist, oh Protagonist... what's the point of you showing up now?"
Muen opened the door.
He expected to see the protagonist, Ariel, who had finally come looking for him.
But it wasn't her.
Standing outside was a maid, carrying a tray of pastries and black tea.
The maid’s face was partially obscured by the shadows cast by the doorway, making her features difficult to discern.
"Young Master Muen, the Lady noticed you and Her Highness the Princess have been talking for quite a while. She thought you might be hungry and specifically asked me to bring some pastries."
"Oh, I see."
So it was Mother. Did she see me invite Celicia for some private time?
As expected of Mother, her timing is impeccable.
Muen didn't think much of it and stepped aside to let her in.
"Put them on the table over there."
"Yes."
The maid nodded respectfully and entered the room with the tray.
As she brushed past Muen, her face was finally illuminated by the soft light of the room.
"Wait."
Muen suddenly realized something was wrong.
"Why have I never seen you before?"
The maids of the Duke’s Estate underwent rigorous screening and training. Most had received specialized maid education within the estate since childhood to prevent anyone with ill intentions from infiltrating.
Even though Muen had only transmigrated yesterday, the memories of the original host should have given him some impression of every maid in the Duke’s Estate.
At the very least, he should have recognized their faces, even if he couldn't remember their names.
But looking at this maid’s face, the only word that came to Muen’s mind was "stranger."
"Of course Young Master Muen doesn't recognize me."
The maid didn't stop her pace.
"Because I was only selected to enter the Duke’s Estate last night."
"Last night..."
Muen realized. "You're part of the extra help for the banquet?"
"Correct. I am here to help."
The maid reached the tea table in the center of the room and placed the tray with the cake and tea onto the surface.
"It's just that I also have another task to perform."
"Another... task?"
Muen was still chewing on the meaning of her words when he suddenly saw the maid draw a cold, gleaming dagger from the bottom of the tray.
Her movement was so natural that Muen froze for a split second before reacting.
His heart and pupils constricted simultaneously. A rush of blood surged to his brain, causing his thoughts to race at lightning speed in that brief moment.
—Her target isn't me. She had the perfect opportunity when she first walked through the door.
Which meant...
"Celicia!"
Muen couldn't help but scream a warning.
The maid’s figure suddenly vanished.
Like a fragile phantom dissolving in the sunlight.
When she reappeared, she was already directly in front of Celicia.
"So fast!"
Muen gasped.
The rooms in the Duke’s Estate were not small.
Because the tea table had just been knocked over and then set upright again, it was several meters away from the sofa.
Yet, that distance seemed non-existent to the maid.
In the blink of an eye, the sharp dagger in her hand was already slashing toward Celicia’s fair, delicate neck.
Death had raised its scythe.
*
Clang.
The scene of blood spraying that Muen had imagined did not occur.
Celicia’s expression remained cold. Facing the maid’s sudden assault, there wasn't a hint of panic in her icy eyes.
At some point, she had raised her hand. The ice mirror she had been holding had condensed into an ice blue sword, accurately parrying the dagger.
With the point of impact between the ice sword and the dagger as the center, an invisible ripple expanded. It shattered the tea table and the sofa, leaving sharp cutting marks on the surrounding walls!
"Let me guess."
Celicia stared at the maid, her voice freezing.
"Did my foolish older brother send you?"
"My apologies, Princess. Client information is strictly confidential."
The maid suddenly retreated, but there was no intent to flee in her eyes; she merely wanted to create space for another strike.
But how could Celicia possibly give her that chance?
With a light tap of her toe, a thin layer of frost rapidly spread toward the maid. Using the slight dampness on the floor, the frost's expansion became even more violent!
As the maid dodged, she couldn't help but frown. "Where did all this water come from?"
"..."
Celicia, whose expression was usually as unchanging as a ten-thousand-year-old glacier, suddenly showed a flash of shame and annoyance. Her cheeks flushed slightly. She stomped her foot hard, and the frost instantly erupted into countless sharp ice thorns, thrusting viciously upward toward the maid, who was now trapped in mid-air with nowhere to dodge.