NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51
“Shh!”
The Black Lotus rubbed its head against my cheek.
“What’s wrong?”
“Shh…”
“You look uneasy.”
“Shh shh!”
Nodding as if in agreement, the Black Lotus confirmed it.
To think that a paragon would care about its master’s condition.
“It’s nothing serious. I’m just a bit worried about Elma.”
“Shh.”
Today, the words I heard from Elma kept circling in my mind.
‘I can’t believe something like that happened.’
I had cleared countless main quests while playing the game, and even more side quests, but I had never really listened intently to each little story.
Stories from mere variable NPCs were unimportant and rarely offered generous rewards.
However, the expression on Elma’s face as she shared this story was…
“……”
It looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.
Her hands, seemingly lost, looked like they wanted to pull her younger brother into an embrace, and her trembling eyes were on the verge of spilling transparent tears.
Each time I thought of my family, I had never imagined there might be such a story behind that expression.
‘Was that why she never acted in the name of the family?’
If she acted while bearing the family crest, the glory of the family would surely be raised along with it.
For someone like her, who had ample reasons to despise the family, there was no reason to conceal it.
‘The more elevated the family name, the fewer people will stray from it.’
Among them, there were rare individuals who developed their own strength and left the family independently, but most were those of insufficient caliber who had their titles stripped and were expelled.
Cutting off the rotten branches for the sake of the family’s dignity.
Such actions occurred frequently among the families of the Valdeon Saga.
It was also a method used in games for plot twists involving heroines or characters.
‘I thought they were just timid, incompetent wretches, but they’re actually the scion of a powerful family?!’
You get the idea.
I thought it was just a comfortable setup that naturally led to other stories connected to that family.
“Reality is more savage.”
Upon reflection, wasn’t I also someone expelled from the family?
Being in that Oldeir place or whatever it’s called.
“It’s not entirely someone else’s story.”
For just a moment, I considered the possibility of being Elma’s younger brother.
But…
[I can no longer watch your cruel personality and bizarre behavior. I hereby strip you of the Oldeir title, which sullies the family’s honor.]
Looking at the “Expulsion Notice” I saw on my first day of possession, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Elma’s younger brother is a typical sickly pretty boy.
‘He wouldn’t have been expelled for such reasons.’
No matter how much of the family’s master one might be, they couldn’t fabricate reasons to cast someone out.
It would be possible to weigh an existing crime, perhaps.
‘Alben’ had keywords related to [Tyrant] and [Rascal].
Before I possessed this body, it’s highly probable things were quite a mess.
“Shh…”
The Black Lotus curled up on my belly.
I chuckled and gently patted its long body with my fingers.
“…Elma wanting to win this tournament.”
It must be to elevate her standing within the family.
She wouldn’t be interested in the ‘prize’ itself.
“She’s the best partner.”
She has good skills and desires to be first, yet doesn’t covet the prize. It was fortunate that Elma invited me to participate.
‘So then.’
Someday, helping her find her younger brother seems like a small favor I could offer.
“Ahem.”
Anyway, that’s that.
It was time to start the ‘real preparation’ now.
The prize, whatever it may be, I must first successfully finish the tournament.
“Well then…”
Bang! Bang!
At that moment, a knock broke my train of thought.
In the dead of night, a knock echoed through the dormitory.
It was just the right thing to stir my trauma.
“Black Lotus.”
“Shh!”
Before I could signal, the Black Lotus slipped into my sleeve and prepared to transform.
‘If it’s Karen again…’
I’ll have to scare her until she’s in tears.
Until she knows who’s in charge.
“Who is it?”
-…Ran? Are you there?
I felt my legs loosen, ready to kick the door down if necessary.
“Princess?”
-Yes, it’s me.
Angela.
She came seeking me in the middle of the night.
*
“I’m sorry for coming at such a late hour. Did I interrupt something?”
“No, not at all. I was just lying around doing nothing.”
Angela and I walked along the night path.
“By the way, what brings you out here at this hour?”
“Hmm… I feel like we haven’t spent much time together lately.”
Well, who knows.
Even if I don’t say it, I’ve spent quite a bit of time with Angela.
We always have lunch together, sit next to each other in class, and unless there’s some special circumstance, we’re always close.
As I rolled my eyes in confusion, Angela chuckled softly.
“Excuses.”
She stepped a half-step ahead of me.
“I have something I want to discuss.”
“Something you want to say?”
“Yes.”
Silver moonlight settled upon Angela’s blonde hair.
As she slightly turned her head to look at me, a slightly different atmosphere surrounded her.
“Ran, let’s participate in this star festival together?”
“Sure.”
“I know you’ll be participating as well.”
“…With the First Princess, right?”
The festival’s participation list was already revealed.
As I expected, Angela ended up competing alongside Fernia.
“Then, I suppose we’ll be rivals in this tournament.”
“That…”
“Don’t make that face, Ran. I didn’t come to say something regrettable. Instead, I’m actually quite happy right now!”
I couldn’t tell if it was a lie or not.
There was a lazy smile on Angela’s face.
“Ran, please don’t see me as a friend during the festival.”
“…..”
“Don’t hesitate. Please treat me like an enemy, of course, I’ll also treat you as one.”
Angela’s gaze met mine.
‘What is this?’
The girl in front of me is certainly Angela.
From her looks to her speech.
She is undoubtedly Angela.
‘…There’s a sense of unease.’
A sense of discomfort palpable in the air.
It wasn’t a malicious kind of intuition, but it felt distinctly different from the usual her.
“Ran?”
“Oh, yes. I’m listening.”
“Are you spacing out, Ran? This is a side I’ve never seen before.”
Angela smiled with her eyes.
“Anyway, I’m not saying this because I dislike you. I just want to genuinely engage in the festival. And…”
“And?”
“…I want to be recognized.”
That was an unexpected response.
A strangely alluring charm flowed from her oddly drooped eyes today.
I involuntarily took a small step back.
“You really don’t have to push yourself too hard.”
“Really… can’t you maintain some composure? A woman should flaunt a little in front of a man.”
She puffed up her cheeks as if sulking but instantly returned to a chuckle.
“Actually, there’s one more reason.”
“…Is it what I’m thinking?”
“Yes.”
Angela said, suddenly dropping all playfulness and speaking seriously.
“This tournament is an opportunity for me to imprint myself onto the public. To exist beyond the shadow of my sister, the Second Princess.”
The royal family’s power has mostly fallen under Fernia’s control.
Conversely, that means half of it is still not grasped.
‘Fernia isn’t perfect, either.’
Politics require a delicate balance of interests.
Of course, there are factions that wouldn’t support Fernia for various reasons.
But that doesn’t mean they’re going to champion Angela either.
The reason Fernia is more or less regarded as the next empress isn’t that she captivates all the members of the royal family.
It’s likely because there’s no candidate within the royal family to replace her.
In this situation.
‘Angela could be a quite attractive piece.’
Up to now, it was impossible.
A massive wall called Fernia stood between us.
Yet, a small breakthrough had appeared here.
Especially with my and Polaris’s presence.
“Princess, does this mean…”
“…It might become a burden. It could be an overzealous idea, or I might be dreaming beyond my limits. But I want to say it.”
Angela declared.
“I want to be an Empress.”
On a night where the moon and stars shone brightly.
The girl bore an ambitious wish within her small mouth.
“Yes.”
Then, from the standpoint of having decided to follow her.
I must alleviate the weight of those words.
“You will surely achieve it. I will make it happen.”
Someday.
I looked forward to the moment we’d share such conversations under the sun, not just the moon.
*
“…How was it?”
-Hmm, not bad.
After parting with Ran, Angela sat in the park and spoke to someone.
“Not bad? My beloved is the best in the history of this continent!”
-Oh really? Have you lived long enough to say that? You haven’t even met my husband yet.
“Even if I don’t meet him, I know. My wife is someone who even a divine being couldn’t dare to compete with!”
Angela curled her legs and blushed.
-…You’ve fallen hard for him.
Someone with silver hair floated in the void and sat cross-legged.
-But still.
Her gaze moved toward the shadow of Angela.
Seeing ‘it’ shrinking quietly inside, she shrugged her shoulders.
-That’s quite a diligent one. Doesn’t look like a man.
“Right?! My wife is such a dedicated person that the last time I…!”
-Here we go again, ugh.
She wore a face of fatigue as she melted seamlessly into Angela’s body.