Chapter 519: Fighting Spirit Reignited
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 519: Fighting Spirit Reignited
"If you have any problems, you can always talk to your big brother. We’re family, after all."
The man in the wheelchair rambled on, his tone gentle. His sickly, pale face was filled with the concern of an older brother for his little sister, and his smiling eyes showed no hint of falsehood.
However, Ariel did not fall into this so-called "kinship trap." Instead, she silently raised her guard.
As for why... if the man before her, Orlando Bugard, was currently confined to a wheelchair and had lost his position as the family heir specifically because Ariel had beaten him with her own two hands, then his current attentiveness was absolutely, one thousand percent suspicious.
Ariel didn't believe anyone in this world could be that open-minded. Moreover, this was the same cold-blooded man who had tried to "dispose" of her several times when she was first brought into the household. To her, his current affectionate words were nothing short of nauseating.
"Brother, you..."
"I told you, call me Big Brother. We're family; there's no need to be so distant."
Orlando waved a hand, interrupting Ariel. He spoke with apparent sincerity. "I know you don't trust me yet, Ariel. You think I’m secretly nursing a grudge against you. But in truth, I’ve made my peace with it. As long as we can revitalize House Bugard, does it really matter which of us becomes the next head? It’s all the same."
"Actually, I have no interest in the position of family head. If you want it, Brother, I can—"
"There you go again, Ariel. Why must you keep testing me? I’ve already promised Father that I will do my utmost to support you."
Orlando sighed helplessly.
"You are far more suited to be the future head than I am now. That is the family consensus. The family has already begun pouring all its resources into you, so please, stop throwing these childish tantrums, alright?"
"..."
Ariel took a deep breath, suppressing the rising revulsion in her heart. "Brother, what exactly did you come here for? If it’s just to chat about these meaningless things, then please excuse me; I don't have time to entertain you."
"Alas, it seems I won't be able to clear your prejudice against me in the short term."
Orlando shook his head regretfully, seemingly powerless against Ariel’s bluntness, though his form of address became even more intimate.
However, before Ariel could lose her patience entirely, he finally got to the point.
"I came to see you for this."
He handed Ariel a gold-leafed letter.
"This is..."
"An invitation. From the Imperial Palace."
"An invitation? To a ball?" Ariel scanned it quickly. "Invited by His Majesty personally?"
"While it’s in His Majesty's name, it’s likely the work of the Second Prince."
"You mean... you want me to go?"
Ariel frowned. She had always loathed these high-society balls. Not only were there too many rules, but they were also filled with disgusting, gluttonous nobles who acted all prim and proper while hiding countless sordid secrets beneath the surface.
More importantly, those people already looked down on her for being a bastard daughter. Why should she go out of her way to be uncomfortable?
"I’m not going." Ariel pushed the invitation back. "You should go instead, Brother."
"This is the family’s wish."
"So what if it’s the family’s wish? It’s just a ball. In the vast House Bugard, can’t you find anyone else to attend?"
"House Bugard has many members, but since this ball is held in His Majesty's name, you and I are the only ones of the younger generation qualified to go."
Orlando handed the letter back to Ariel and patted his own legs.
"You can't expect me to roll into a ball in a wheelchair, can you? I’d be laughed to death."
"..."
Ariel fell silent for a moment. She considered how the family had indeed been providing her with significantly more resources lately. Although she didn't know if they had an ulterior motive, she felt it would be poor form to snub the family’s reputation over something like this.
But... if she attended...
Tsk, I didn't expect to run into that loathsome Muen Campbell again so soon... Should I find a chance to slip some laxatives into his red wine and make him humiliate himself in public?
Ariel muttered under her breath. The thought of that guy already having Liya, yet potentially using his status as a fiancé to get handsy with Princess Celicia at the ball, made her grit her teeth in rage.
Why had he already completed most of the goal when she hadn't even started?
Life was so unfair!
"Hmm? Muen Campbell?"
Orlando was slightly taken aback. Although he hadn't caught Ariel’s entire sentence, he had heard the name. "Why bring him up? Isn't he unable to attend the ball?"
"Huh? What did you say? Muen Campbell can't attend?"
Ariel froze and quickly pressed for more. "Why? As the son of a Duke, there's no way he should be absent from an occasion like this."
"He shouldn't be absent, provided he’s still in Belland," Orlando said with surprise. "Don't you know? He’s been sent to the North to supervise disaster relief. Heh, it’s a fine job for padding his resume, but the disaster in the North is severe lately. He definitely won't be back anytime soon."
"Won't be back..."
Ariel mumbled, her eyes suddenly lighting up. "What about Princess Celicia? Will she be there?"
"Of course. Princess Celicia and Prince Albert should both be attending. You could say this is the highest-spec ball in the Empire. Every faction will be sending representatives. It’s a golden opportunity to make friends and show off your talents. Little sister, you can't be as willful as usual; you must—"
Orlando began his nagging instructions again, playing the part of the worried older brother to perfection.
But Ariel wasn't listening at all.
She kept muttering about how Muen Campbell wouldn't be there while Celicia would, and her eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Could this be... an opportunity?
Muen Campbell was thousands of miles away.
Meanwhile, she could use the ball to get close to Celicia and build their relationship...
The situation was exactly the same as before, yet the roles had been reversed!
No matter how she looked at it, this was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime chance—the best opportunity to rescue Celicia from Muen Campbell’s clutches!
"This is also a great chance for revenge!"
Ariel clenched her fists secretly. Something that had vanished during her previous experiences was returning to her.
A raging fire burned in Ariel’s chest.
The indomitable fighting spirit in her heart surged once more!
Just you wait, Muen Campbell. I’ll show you the meaning of pain!
The pain of being cuckolded right to your face—I’ll pay it all back to you, with interest!
"Brother, get me the best formal dress ready. I’m going to that ball!"