Chapter 34: Appearance

༺ Appearance ༻

“Young Master Frey! Are you all right?”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“May I carry your bag?”

The weekend ended and weekdays began, and as I was heading to my classroom to attend the lectures, aristocratic students flocked to me.

Usually, I would have chatted as much as I could with a smile, but now I wasn’t in the mood to get entangled with them.

“...Apologies, but I’m a little tired right now.”

So, when I spoke in a serious tone with an irritated expression, the nobles who were looking at me began disappearing one by one.

As expected, a single glance is enough for cunning opportunistic guys like them.

“Young Master Frey... you seem to be in a bad mood today?”

Then someone approached me and whispered softly in my ear. Even among the nobles, there seems to be at least one such ignorant person.

“Who are you?”

“Oh, have you forgotten all about me?”

But when I turned around, I could see a somewhat familiar face.

“...I told you not to behave rudely.”

“Ah, I’m so scared.”

So, after briefly reflecting on my thoughts, I was able to recall she was Young Lady Isabel from the Marquis family, the woman who insulted Kania the other day.

‘...Shouldn’t she be under investigation right now?’

Obviously, I had clearly exposed the corruption of the Marquis Household to my father, and I was trying to guess the reason why this woman was walking around freely. However, soon I recalled the fact that my father was in a comatose state and stroked my temple.

‘Is it because the complaint hasn’t reached the Imperial family since my father collapsed?’

I felt immensely frustrated by the fact that my well thought out plan failed because my father collapsed and it’s all my fault. Meanwhile, Isabel smiled coquettishly and began pricking me even more without knowing my inner thoughts.

“Do you still remember my face?”

“Yes.”

“Then why do you keep sending me back?”

“...Huh?”

When I inquired with my brows furrowed, Isabel looked distressed.

“Young Master Frey’s butler keeps sending me back? If you remember my face, there’s no reason to do so, right?”

Unable to bear the disgust at the words that came out of her mouth, I finally stopped walking and opened my mouth.

“Isabel, I heard you are getting engaged to the Crown Prince.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then why do you keep doing this?”

When I frowned and asked again, Isabel uttered a word as if it was the most natural reason.

“He is ugly.”

“Huh?”

“Giving such an ugly man my first time... I mean... isn’t it a bit sad for a woman?”

Seeing Isabelle talking with her eyes wide open, I chuckled.

“Hahaha... you’re amazing.”

“I’m grateful for your praise.”

“But I’m not feeling well these days. I’ll see you later.”

“...Sigh.”

I didn’t want to get involved with her anymore, so I tapped my brooch that I was wearing and was about to leave, but soon Isabel heaved a sigh and said.

“Do you like that vile lowlife that much?”

“......”

“Well, everyone has different tastes... Anyway, I’d like to make a suggestion...”

“...Suggestion?”

“Would you like to be my dance partner at the upcoming ball?”

Hearing that, I smirked and opened my mouth.

“...What about the Prince?”

“Um... he’s stupid and fat, so after dancing for the first time, he will be gasping for his breath and let me go, just like last time.”

“Aren’t you afraid of the backlash from the Imperial family because of your blasphemous actions?”

“...Well, it’s just between the two of us, isn’t it?”

Upon hearing those words, Isabel smiled as her eyes formed a crescent moon pattern and walked out of the hallway.

– Tap Tap

Meanwhile, after tapping the brooch to end the recording, I asked her one last question.

“...But why are you coming after me?”

Then she briefly stared at me and answered as if it was natural.

“Because you’re handsome.”

Having said that, she walked out of the hallway.

“...I don’t think anything has changed from last time.”

For some odd reason, I felt a strange aura from Isabel, so I used my ❰Inspect❱ skill but it seems nothing had changed.

Then what was that eerie feeling?

“...Young master.”

“You surprised me!”

As I was ruminating with my brows furrowed, I suddenly heard Kania’s voice next to me, out of nowhere.

“What... Kania? Since when have you been there?”

“...I was by your side the whole time.”

“Huh?”

As she said so, Kania’s body was emanating a dark aura.

“Kania, that kind of magic...”

“It’s an elementary magic spell that allows me to seep into the Young Master’s shadow and serve you right by your side. It consumes very little dark mana.”

“Still, I’m afraid you’ll get caught...”

“This magic has been used for stealth since time immemorial. So, no one in the academy can see through this magic spell except for Saintess Ferloche. And Lady Ferloche is on my side now.”

“........”

As I stood there speechless while staring blankly at Kania, who refuted my remarks one by one, she suddenly frowned and muttered.

“...It’s strange. Dark mana still exists in her body.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. By the way... What are you going to do with her suggestion?”

“Well... I don’t know...”

“You can refuse.”

When I said so calmly, Kania who unintentionally let out a sarcastic remark, spaced out for a split moment, then soon began apologizing to me urgently.

“I apologize, Young Master. I crossed the line...”

“Pfftt...”

Her new humane side was so funny that I burst into laughter. However, suddenly something popped out in front of us.

“”......!””

We momentarily froze, but as soon as we realized it’s just a kitten who was staring at us with its eyes wide open, we breathed a sigh of relief.

“...Oh, why did you suddenly run over there?”

But we froze again when we heard the Princess’ voice right in front of us.

Although the stealth magic erases the presence to some extent... you have no choice but to get discovered, if someone is right in front of you.

Of course, I don’t mind getting caught alone, but now Kania is also next to me...

“...Gasp!”

Suddenly, Kania hugged me tightly and covered my mouth with her hand. And soon both of us were rolling around in the grass.

As both of us were rolling around and I had no clue what was going on, strands of grass and dirt covered our bodies. However, the next moment Clana arrived, trampling on the patch of grass, and lifted the kitten. Soon she was taken aback when she noticed us.

“Y-You guys!! What are you doing here?”

“Sob, Sob! Sniff!!”

As Kania began wailing, Clana’s expression soon turned cold when she inferred the situation. She then pointed at me while concentrating solar mana on the tip of her finger and said.

“Frey Raon Starlight, get away from her this instant.”

“...Tsk.”

I was afraid that she would shoot solar mana at my head, so I quickly got away from Kania and grumbled.

“...You sure look like a Princess when you bark orders.”

“What did you just say?”

“It’s nothing. Your Highness.”

I replied to the Princess in a dissatisfied tone as her eyes blazed in anger. I then directed my gaze towards Kania and said.

“...Why are you rebelling and won’t let me have my way with you like always?”

“...Ugh.”

At those words, Kania turned her head with an ashamed expression, and at the same time, a golden aura emanated from Clana’s body.

“...You better think this through. What will happen to you if you touch me, the Provisional Lord of the Starlight family? Aren’t you still in a precarious position?”

“Sure, let’s stop.”

Undaunted by my sarcasm, the Imperial Princess continued walking towards us radiating even more of a burning aura. After judging that I would never wake up again if I was beaten by her, I quickly decided to leave the backyard.

“Ah, that’s right. I was invited to the ball... you are going to pick your fiancé there, right?”

However, when suddenly I recalled something , I halted after securing a safe distance, then looked at Clana, who was still emitting a golden aura and said.

“So, who will you choose?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“As far as I know... all fiancé candidates are trash, who are infamous throughout the Empire, so whoever you get engaged to... you’re still going to suffer, right?”

“...Shut up.”

“Why don’t you come to me rather than getting engaged to such people?”

“Frey Raon Starlight. Don’t you fear the backlash from the Imperial family for your insolence?”

Finally, I threw one last mocking remark while making a spiteful expression at the Princess, who eventually reached her threshold of anger.

“Then, see you at the ball. ‘Third’ Imperial Princess.”

Having said that, I hurried to the main building, ignoring the scorching solar mana behind me.

[Acquired False Evil Points: 300pts! (Foreshadow)]

“...The message that appears next to the acquisition window. Who the hell is writing these?”

As I tilted my head at the question that I probably will never figure out until the very end, I hastened my footsteps.

Probably, it’s something related to Serena who is willing to kill me or make me suffer in the near future.

.

.

.

.

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“...Caw.”

“Hmm, you’re here?”

Meanwhile, around that time, in an unknown room.

A girl was sitting on a splendid throne with a bored expression on her face. She inquired with her brows raised when an emerald-eyed crow flew in through the open window.

“Caw, Caaaw!”

“...Speak in human tongue. Although I can understand your words, it’s still awkward to listen to.”

“I understand, Your Majesty, the Demon King.”

Eventually, the girl, who was called the ‘Demon King’ by the cawing crow, smiled and said.

“I haven’t gone through awakening yet, so I’m not the Demon King. For now, refer to me as the heir.”

“...But you are the last hope of the demons. We demons have no doubt that you will show us the long-awaited destruction of this world...”

“...Stop babbling. Are all demons as talkative as you?”

The crow, who briefly shut its beak at the girl’s rebuke, looked at her and then opened its beak again.

“...I have something to report.”

“Tell me.”

“The recent death of Succubus Queen and Eucarius...”

“That’s enough. Stop talking.”

But once again, the Demon King cut its words off with a bothered expression on her face. The crow then spoke in an urgent tone.

“But... this is important...”

“Didn’t I say that’s enough?”

“........”

The crow, who continued to talk, hurriedly bowed its head when the girl radiated a vehement aura in all directions.

“...Let me ask one last thing.”

“Please feel free to ask.”

The girl, who was looking at the crow pathetically, slightly raised her head and spoke with an intrigued expression.

“If there is a Demon King, there must also be a Hero, right?”

“That’s...”

When the crow hesitated to answer her question, the girl clasped her hand and smiled.

“Well, I think I already got the answer.”

An opaque window floated in front of the eyes of the girl who had just finished speaking.

The window seemed to be only visible to her.