CH 38

It was really surprising, but I thought that the duke’s inner self was very feminine.

“…… I don’t collect things these days.”

“Yes.”

Since you don’t collect them, so why are the latest fashions all included?

Is he shy?

“Really, Princess.”

The sound of footsteps in the quiet hallway ceased. Psychke also stopped following him.

“I picked this up.”

What he held out was a red velvet box the size of the palm of his hand. Tied with a yellow ribbon.

Psychke, who looked carefully at the box, opened her mouth.

“It’s not mine.”

“I know.”

Verndia, crumpled over her impression, pushed the box and squeezed it.

There was only one reason why- giving the lost items to the owner.

Psychke opened her mouth without thinking.

“Can I take it to the butler?”

“……”

With a subsequent frown, Psychke began to reflect on what she had said wrongly.

Does he mean to say that we should find the owner personally and not give this task to the butler?

Or should I have said I’d throw it away because it was lying on the floor?

‘By the way, this is what maids usually do…’

He was more bothered to find a maid than she was.

Since her status is higher than that of a maid, this work is something she unusually does and maids are originally there to do this.

Psychke said softly.

“I will find the owner. But I hope you will refrain from doing this in the future.”

She doesn’t know the meaning of this situation but what he wanted to say wasn’t conveyed properly.

In almost tears, Verndia unwrapped the ribbon of the box. He took her hand and made her open the box.

Psychke, who accidentally opened the lost and found, was perplexed.

“It’s mine.”

“Yes?”

“Everything in Lestir is under my control, so of course what I picked up is mine.”

“…. Oh, I see.”

She didn’t know what to do. Psychke bit her mouth. It was the same with Verndia, who had a hard expression on his face.

Then, tired of waiting for her, she asked internally, ‘What should I do then?’ She acted more bluntly than usual.

“Dagger, don’t you need it? The old one must have been damaged by the blood of a beast.”

According to Verndia’s words, the dagger she had been using lost its function as a weapon.

She should have gone to the weapon shop earlier, but time was lacking so she couldn’t and since she has swordsmanship class every day.

“I increased the mining amount because of the moonstone, but there is still a lot left. I made one.”

At last Psychke looked down at what was in the box.

As he says, she thinks it should be a dagger. It had only one cross-shaped earring.

A blue gem presumed to be a magic crystal is embedded in the center.

“Take it as if you were holding a sword.”

She was skeptical, but she did what she was told. At that moment, mana drained through the palm of her hand, and the earring turned into a sharp sword.

“…!”

Psychke took a breath. It was a magic sword. She has only heard of it, but it’s the first time she had seen the form itself transform in this way.

She stared through the blue jewel embedded in the center of the handle.

‘To be able to do this, it’s quite superlative—’

“Now, only you can use that, Princess.”

“Yes?” 

“Because it was made to react only to the mana of the first owner.”

Surprised at what he said, she put the sword down in a hurry. But because she couldn’t put it into the box, she decided to place it on the floor. Yet again, it was not polite to do that, especially since the sword is an expensive item.

“Shouldn’t the princess have a personal sword, too.”

“No, this is—”

“Because I’m frustrated.”

Verndia glanced at the sword around my waist.

He hated using the practice sword. Because it gets broken easily by hot mana and when the mana can’t be retained at the right temperature. However, since Psychke was using a practice knife, he didn’t have any choice but to match it.

“Because the Princess can never keep up with me if this goes on.”

“But this is…”

If she was a different person, he would have been more patient. But he’s frustrated now so in return, he gave her a magic sword.

Psychke opened her mouth slightly at the unexpected use of frivolity, and then she stammered hard.

“It’s too expensive-“

“Okay. Didn’t I tell you? It was made from the surplus magic crystals.”

Just because the amount of mining has been increased, the highest quality magic crystals remain. Even the royal family wouldn’t be able to say that…

‘If I was this wealthy, I might be able to provide a magic sword to everyone in the Lestir Territory.’

“It doesn’t come around that much.”

After reading her thoughts, Verndia declared.

“It is okay to think of it as a gift to commemorate being my first disciple. It is also customary to give a sword to a swordsman as a gift.”

“Am I your first disciple?”

“The first disciple, and the last disciple.”

The sword in her hand turned into an earring. Verndia took the earring and put it into his fiancée’s ear. 

The body temperature that started from her fingertips gently colored her ears.

“It’s pretty.”

He smiled, tidying up the silver hair around her.

For a moment, Psychke felt the warmth remaining in her ears spread all over her face.

“Ye-yes. It is pretty.”

Earrings are pretty, so why would he look at her like that and say that?

Even for her, her earrings were very pretty and luxurious. It almost didn’t seem like a great craftsman had invested a lot of time because it hangs on her ears as light as feathers. 

‘My pretty sword…’

Was it because of the joy of having the first sword, or because of Verndia’s words?

Her heart was pounding. Avoiding his unbreakable purple gaze, Psychke eagerly fiddled with her earring.

Verndia, who had not let go of her hair until then, finally let go of it.

“Don’t go anywhere looking at someone like that.”

“Yes?”

“Because it looks really annoying.”

Psychke froze. Verndia was taken aback by the expression she had that had been erased in an instant.

It somehow felt sad that she had lost that expression. He felt regretful that he wanted to swallow back when he had just spewed.

“It’s not that the Princess is annoying.”

So, what’s annoying? Looking at it in that sense, he opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it quietly. Then she twisted her gaze at an angle.

It must have been a mistake, but it was also the same as seeing the reddish ears through his black hair.

* * *

She doesn’t know what the world would be like. Still, she had never dreamed that something like this would ever happen.

“Please marry me.”

The sound of footsteps filling the dark alley stopped.

Psychke, who had confirmed her target, was about to leave the place, but was forcibly turned her reluctant head due to what she had heart. She must have heard it wrong.

“What did you say?”

An unusual, neutral voice flowed from between her lips.

The woman in front of her, Hilvia, clenched her fists as if she would never let the man go, and shouted at him sternly.

“I want you to marry me! I’ll make sure you never regret it!”

“……”

She was in the middle of an absurd situation with her mouth slightly open without realizing it.

“You said you were going to get some air, but I didn’t know you were cheating on me.”

A voice came from behind her as if he was forcibly holding back his laughter.

Even without looking back, Psychke knew who it was.

“What do you mean going to get some air? No way, is he your lover? I am better than her!”

So, you should marry me!

Because of Hilvia fiercely clinging to him, Psychke lost her words. The growling sound of laughter, which grew proportionally, burst openly, perhaps unbearable in the end.

How did it become like this?

The incident began three hours ago.

It all started from the unplanned going out with Verndia, Cecil, and Isolet.

***

“Take a look at this too. I think it will suit you.”

“Wow, that’s pretty too. Do you like this? This will look good on you.”

“Hey, Princess! Let’s go over there!”

She couldn’t get the chatter off of her mind which poured like a storm; the endless procession of ornaments.

Psychke at first declined that these ornaments won’t be worn but it was only at the beginning.

The trinkets she wore suddenly became one, two, and three.

When she finally left the jewelry store, Psychke was holding a circlet she thought she would never live on in her hand.

“It goes so well with the earrings that the Princess wore. I am sorry if I offended you.”

It was an unexpected expense, but she didn’t feel bad.

Because of what Cecil said last night.

‘Did the Duke give you earrings? Oh, my, my.’

‘But why only one pair?’

‘I don’t have a dress that suits me. It doesn’t even match the jewelry I have now.’

‘I’ll choose a lot of pretty things for you, Princess. Let’s go out together tomorrow!’

‘I was most envious of the kids who went shopping with the person they served.’

‘How sad it was that the Duke did not have a sister.’

With those words, Psychke thought of Melissa.

Whenever she said Lillian was getting a new dress or jewelry, Melissa put everything aside and followed Lillian.

She had crossed over and overheard. For an employee serving a female aristocrat, going to a boutique with the owner is one of the pleasures of a hard life.

The person who took care of her warmly begs me like that despite not needing it, she couldn’t adamantly refuse.

She had to go out tomorrow, so she had to postpone her swordsmanship class.

It was said that even the wishes of the dead can come true.

Psychke decided to go out with Cecil.

And she did,

“The necklace earlier looks good. Did you buy it too?”

“I want the Duke to buy you—”

“Isolet.”

I didn’t expect these two men to follow.