Chapter 55
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Russell's Pride
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"You're here early. No injuries, right?"
Charlotte wanted to quickly catch up with Joseph, but seeing Russell anxiously inspecting her arms and legs, she reluctantly nodded.
"Yeah. Did you make it through without getting hurt, Brother?"
She was probably the only one here who could worry about him like that.
Russell burst into laughter and scooped his little sister up into his arms.
He had so many questions for her, but this was hardly the place to ask them amid the tense atmosphere of the tournament venue.
'Guess I'll have to wait for another chance.'
"What about Byaki?"
"Ah... well? I saw him, but... he'll be here soon, I think? I've caught glimpses of him wielding his sword from afar a few times. Not bad at all."
"Not bad, huh... haha! What about Lancelot?"
"Yeah. There was some chaos, so I didn't watch closely. But he's so hot-headed—who knows how he'll fare—but he should show up any minute."
It sounded almost like he was appraising people far younger and far less skilled than himself.
Russell felt a laugh bubbling up involuntarily, but then he suddenly realized how fresh and clean Charlotte smelled.
A shiver ran down his spine, like tiny goosebumps prickling along his back.
Catching a slime without getting a single drop of its sticky mucus on you wasn't easy.
As vice-captain of the Great Bear Knight Order, Russell had dealt with monsters plenty of times and knew the tricks, but that was no simple feat for a first-timer.
'If she'd stabbed it head-on, she'd have been covered in slime for sure... How the hell did she do it?'
"Hey, Charlotte."
"Yeah?"
"When the slime burst, didn't any of the goo splash out?"
"...Huh? Oh, it did. But I was up higher, so it was fine."
Up higher?
Higher than the slime?
Russell glanced at her petite frame nestled snugly in his arms, then at her face.
Her pink hair was neatly tied up, stray strands secured with tiny pins, and her fair face held only the innocent charm of a young girl.
"...Charlotte."
"Yeah?"
"You've really... grown up."
"Grown up?"
"Your brother here has been... so thoughtless all this time. I'm sorry..."
"...You're not gonna cry, are you?"
"As if."
Even as he said it, Russell's eyes were already growing misty.
Charlotte shook her head vigorously and wriggled out of his embrace.
He was a great brother in every way, except for these occasional bouts of inexplicable guilt.
Empress Selen hadn't risen to her current position simply because she was the daughter of Marquis Tantinus.
She was recognized for her unmatched ability to make swift judgments based on the situation at hand.
She knew exactly what to offer to win people's hearts, and if the tide turned, she could discard even her most loyal subordinates without hesitation. Of course, she also knew when to elevate trash she'd previously deemed useless.
Having watched only the first match of the preliminaries—the very first event of the tournament—Empress Selen realized that the center of attention in this arena truly possessed remarkable talent.
Fools clung to their preconceptions and couldn't pivot quickly, but she was different.
After Charlotte displayed her astonishing prowess and withdrew, nobles and commoners alike buzzed exclusively about her, signaling she was someone worth watching.
Perhaps Camilla had been secretly grooming her as a hidden weapon, keeping it under wraps until now.
'She played it so cool when the tournament started. Let's see. If that's the case, what's her game?'
Thoughts of how close Charlotte and Joseph had grown naturally flitted through her mind.
Empress Selen bit down hard on her deep rose-colored lips.
Even allies couldn't be trusted one hundred percent.
Not even Camilla.
Especially not her own husband, the emperor.
It was only natural, perhaps.
"Ricardo."
Empress Selen fanned herself widely to conceal her mouth as she called to her charming son seated beside her.
"Yes, Mother?"
"Joseph's been scarce lately."
"...Pardon?"
"Don't send him gallivanting outside for no reason. Keep him quietly in the palace. Who knows what connections he might forge out there."
"...Ah, that... but it's just..."
He'd meant to say, 'It's only because he was with Charlotte of all people—do we really need to be wary?' But the deafening cheers still ringing in his ears forced Ricardo to clamp his mouth shut.
"Ricardo."
"...Yes, Mother."
Empress Selen glanced sideways.
She spotted her sister Lamorey, who'd been eyeing Charlotte Setia intently for a while. Her sister, who never opened her heart easily to anyone.
And she couldn't miss that sparkling gaze.
Not just that.
Camilla Setia, head of House Setia, had worn a pensive expression ever since Charlotte appeared.
And above all, the emperor—who'd been sitting right beside her—had widened his eyes in shock the moment Charlotte cleanly dispatched the slime in one go, then descended from the platform like a child eager to watch her up close.
Those three held the greatest power here, and she'd captured all their hearts in an instant.
She was bound to go far, no matter what.
Whether House Setia elevated her or someone else claimed her.
Empress Selen quietly leaned toward her son.
"I think Charlotte will rise far higher than we expect. We should bring her to our side first."
"...Bring her? To my palace? But we made that bet, so she's..."
"Perhaps changing your fiancée would be wise."
"What? Me with a girl like that?"
Empress Selen shot Ricardo a stern look from behind her fan.
Ricardo always knew better than to defy his wise mother's words lightly, but the idea of seating some insignificant girl—who'd merely lucked out against a single slime—on the throne as his future empress was absurd.
"I taught you to judge everything politically to gain the greater prize, yet you never learn."
"Mother, but she's..."
"Watch for now. But go greet her right away."
"...What? A prince like me personally greeting some Charlotte?"
Selen eyed her son curiously.
"Didn't you go greet her yourself after the last prelim match?"
"No, that's different!"
"You have the perfect excuse with the bet. Go sound her out. Probe Camilla's intentions. If the girl's discreet enough, even float the engagement idea. Praise her, butter her up—whatever it takes."
"...But."
"Ricardo. Do as I say. Now."
But Selen was too formidable a mother for Ricardo to defy.
For the first time, he grumbled inwardly that her command was utterly unreasonable as he rose from his seat.
'I came to see Charlotte save Kate, and it was... I couldn't even figure out what happened.'
'Charlotte saved Kate? Honestly, I wouldn't have bothered.'
'Forget that—does she even have the skill? At this point, maybe she made a pact with some ancient demon? How else does a person change this much?'
Ricardo, who'd come to find Charlotte at the waiting room after the prelims ended, paused to listen to the voices inside.
The whole way here, every conversation had revolved around Charlotte Setia.
Yes, her skills had improved, but he genuinely couldn't understand this level of fanaticism.
Ricardo swept back his lavender curls and nodded toward the door. His attendant swiftly stepped forward and opened it.
Among the thinned-out crowd of participants, Charlotte—snuggled in Russell's arms—immediately caught his eye.
Finding her was easy: locate Joseph, whom he loathed like a bug, and follow his gaze.
'How touching.'
Joseph, who ignored all his scoldings and lectures, was staring at Charlotte with utter devotion. Pathetic.
"His Highness the Second Prince Ricardo has arrived."
Only after the attendant announced him did Joseph's gaze slowly shift to Ricardo.
His pitch-black eyes burned with clear hostility.
'...Touched my childhood friend, has he? How devoted.'
Acting like a lifeless doll until now.
Ricardo wasn't one to take that glare lightly. He shot Joseph a murderous look in return.