Chapter 5

~ Chapter 5 ~

A few days had passed since then.

“Anyway, there is no such thing as education. Just what did His Grace see in her to bring here?”

Today and this time, Psychke was hit by water, while walking in the garden.

It was the act of a gardener who was watering the flowers. He sprayed it on purpose even though he knew that she was clearly passing by.

Since experiencing being splashed by water, I focused on suppressing my ability, so my hair didn’t get ice every now and then.

Psychke immediately returned to her room after what occurred. But as soon as I came back, I was told to be careful because I spilled water on the hallway and destroyed the expensive carpets, which was laid outside.

“I don’t think the person who brought you here knows that you are an uneducated person.”

“……!”

The butler’s face, who unintentionally cursed the housekeeper, turned red. Bang! He closed the door and left.

“Who’s not cultured?”

Psychke calmly dried her wet hair. I changed my clothes and sat in front of her desk.

I looked through the paper which were hidden in the drawer, and wrote about my future plans.

Even though I was splashed by water, I felt good at this moment.

Because—

‘It was moonstone.’

Finally, the name of the ore which she had problem remembering, came to her mind.

A moonstone.

It was an item with no much value as it was created by the low-quality magic crystals immersed in the light of the full moon.

There were times when it was used as an accessory because the color was softer than any ordinary jewelry.

These days, it wasn’t popular among married women at all.

‘Its strength is weak, but that’s not the reason why I am going to it fight for.’

The monsters living in the dungeon were weak against light.

However, the mineral that holds its light, the moonstone, was not used as a weapon because of its weak strength. Rather, it was used a magic sword or much better is hire a wizard to do so.

‘As long as it can hurt them, then there’s no problem.’

It has no grand requirement to be able to do it. All you have to do are these three things; grind the moonstone, then put it on a regular sword, and finally swing it on the skins of the monsters.

Unlike outer leather, the inner flesh of the monsters was weak against cold. And the Lestir territory where they appeared, belonged to one of the coldest area in the empire.

So if you leave it alone with a wound, it would die on its own.

Needless to say, if the wizards who were hired by Lestir, used Ice Magic, they would naturally fall faster.

‘It’s not real, and it’s also a low-quality magic gemstone, so one can easily get it from the Duke of Lestir.’

For Verndia, who owns dozens of magic crystal mines, the moonstone isn’t something worthy, in fact it’s just as good as a stone struck in his foot.

‘That’s how I’ll deal with other things… but Asum type of monsters is the problem.’

A sorcerer-type of monster was known to be intelligent enough to resemble a child.

It always appear at the back of the lower rank monsters, although they were known for being able to cast healing magic and increases recovery of a monster.

Even if one had wounded the monsters with moonstone, it was obvious that monsters would be able to heal quickly if Asum was present.

Therefore, I had to deal with this man first.

Or perhaps what he’s doing is not taking his eyes off them, so they can’t use magic.

‘His weaknesses are obviously women and jewels.’

I had a clue on how to deal with it.

But. Is that the only way to settle things?

Psychke was lost in thought, tapping the margin at the end of the paper beside the pen. The empty paper, then was filled with the black dot pouring down from the pen.

It was then. I heard knocks after another.

No one has ever knocked on her door except Yzahr, who values the eyes of others, such as their family honor and prestige.

He said he would come again back then, and Psychke opened her mouth even before the visitor could reveal himself.

“Come on in.”

Gently, the door was opened.

As expected, the person who came inside had shiny silver hair.

However, the person who came in did not have black pupils like an obsidian stones.

Her eyes were blue like sapphire.

“It’s me, Psychke.”

Lillian who knocked and walked in her room, shyly spoke. And Lenox together with Melissa, were standing behind her like her escorts.

‘Lilian?’

Psychke would be lying if she won’t say that she wasn’t embarrassed.

Before returning, Lillian had never visited me like this, not even once.

I didn’t want to get involved in their little tricks, so I avoided them and especially her, as much as I could. But then again, why did she come here?

This situation now somehow seemed to overlap with the poison needle necklace incident for some reason.

I remembered the Duke, who came in at once, and was staring at me, with his two knights standing behind him. With that, my back shivered and my hair stood up* in fear.

(TN: Hair stood up; an exaggeration to imply that someone is seriously afraid of something.)

Psychke unknowingly gave strength to her hand which held the pen.

“What brings you here…?”

It was an unexpected meeting, so there was a rustling sound, unfamiliar with the situation.

Twisting her hair with her fingers, Lillian spoke shyly.

“I came here because I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Favor?”

“Good people are teaching me education, but they said that it would be better for me to learn from the person in charge of what should I do as a princess…”

Lillian was around the age of three when she disappeared. Therefore, as soon as she returned home, she was taught regarding etiquette and a mindset a princess must have.

Psychke realized what Lillian was talking about. But she asked again in doubt.

“The person in charge?”

“You’ve been occupying my sister’s place, so let her know what she needs to learn.”

Lenox beats his chest as if frustrated, and muttered rudely.

If you see me as a person with feelings, how can I possibly do that?

Psychke was speechless. In the meantime, Lillian hummed timidly, hitting both of her index fingers.

“I knew that you did it for my reputation, and it’s alright, but I have to do it all alone sooner. Also… I don’t wish to make mistakes.”

“I haven’t done anything in particular.”

She didn’t said that because she didn’t want to take over, rather it was true.

Psychke was only a princess in disguise, but in reality, she was just one of the workers of the Duke.

Although other female nobles of their age are eager to go out to society and raise the reputation of the family.

Psychke used to be a laughingstock just by participating in meetings.

A foolish fake princess whose not recognized by her family, and yet she looks like a parasite who clings to her family…

So instead of interacting with others, she locked herself up in the house. She read books and practiced swordsmanship, just to shake off those absurd thoughts.

Those were her foolish acts because I want to be recognized. Because I want to be by their side someday.

There was no need for Lilian, the real princess, to be desperate about that. Because real and fake are very different from the starting line.

“Sigh, what would you want from me?”

Lenox clicked his tongue, perhaps because it was pathetic to say that she had done nothing.

He always had no idea that Psychke had secretly leaked information just before he enters the meeting every time.

“I knew this would happen. Let’s go, Older Sister. We shouldn’t be fooling ourselves. She doesn’t know anything about that.”

“Wait a minute.”

He just wanted them to leave.

Lillian hesitated to leave and think if she had more things to say.

When she gave her gaze to Psychke, she wrapped her red cheeks and smiled like an in love girl.

“You know, I was wondering, what kind of person is the Duke of Verndia?”

“..?”

“People told me that he is going to be engaged to me soon.”

Psychke was once again at loss for words. Lilian cried out softly, feeling embarrassed just by thinking about it.

“Rumor has it that he’s a very, uh, a little scary, but he’s a very cool guy. What do you think? Is he a really cool person?”

“… Yes.”

“Oh my god!”

I think you asked the maids regarding that in my previous life. Why are you asking me personally this time?

I’m back safely here. But do you think I was pleased to hear that?

‘I wasn’t that naïve.‘

Back then, whenever I saw Lillian being loved by everyone in the household, I was so heartbroken that I consciously avoided her.

Hence, we only see each other when necessary. There were intense things left in my mind.

The expression on her face that looked at me with pity.

And a proud expression that sometimes passed by her face.

‘It seemed like she was bragging about this.‘

Whatever her intention was to come and see me, I didn’t want to talk to her anymore.

Psychke decided to give the answer the other person wanted.

That way, she thought she could end the unnecessary and tiring conversation a little faster.

“It is said that an engagement between nobles can take place without seeing each other face to face. Is that true?”

“Then, I can do that too?”

“Why don’t you answer correctly?”

Lenox, who was listening quietly, intervened.

Psychke looked back at him indifferently, she then exhaled lightly and corrected her answer.

“That’s possible.”

“Oh, I don’t really prefer that….”

Perhaps it was an important thing for her, Lillian touched her lips and fell into trouble of thinking.

Then, as if she had thought of something, she looked at Psyche with a bright smile.

“Can you invite me the next time you meet the Duke?”

“That’s….”

Other times, I would had already said yes.

However, their next meeting was supposed to be discussing and writing the contract of their engagement.

He was almost exhausted when he found out that she had betrayed the will of Silkisia and had agreed to help him.

When Psychke showed hesitation to answer for the first time, who had been responding with her blank face, Lillian mistook it indifferently.

“I’m not trying to steal yours, I just want to meet him! As his future fiancée!“

“… Can I first ask the duke and tell him about this? Since the Duke’s permission is important too.”

“… Oh, I see.”

As if she had never thought of it, Lillian pushed her tongue out with an embarrassed look.

Psychke looked at her action with narrowed eyes. Then, with a headache that came suddenly, I grabbed my forehead and stumbled.

It was very painful. Her whole body seemed to be trapped in an ice.

I almost stumbled on the chair because of the pain I felt. Fortunately, I didn’t get hurt, since Lillian caught me.

“Psychke!”

Surprised, Lillian screamed. The scream was swallowed up by natural words afterwards.

“She’s doing that because she wants attention. Don’t worry, Older Sister.”

“You said… attention…?”

“Hey, that always what happens when she’s bored. If she gets tired of doing that, it’ll just go back to normal, so let’s just go.”

Lenox trembled at the sight and spilled his words insincerely to Psychke as if he was troubled. As if there was nothing more to see, he led Lillian, who was embarrassed, outside.

Melissa, realizing that she didn’t do the work she was supposed to do, brought out the tea, which she does every morning, and made a smirk on her face.

But it was just only that.

With her expression erased in an instant, she followed Lillian and Lenox.

Bang, the door was finally closed.

There was no one next to Psychke, who was seriously struggling.