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Chapter 16
Cecil went to see Lucy for her treatment.
Lucy, who had been waiting for him, handed him something again.
It was the herbal tea Cecil liked.
This time as well, Cecil accepted it without refusing, but his expression was strange.
“You don’t need to keep giving me this herbal tea.”
Lucy was flustered.
Seeing her expression, Cecil added,
“I don’t mean I dislike it. I’m just saying the ones I’ve already received are enough.”
Only then did Lucy understand.
When she played the game, she would mechanically give Cecil herbal tea every time they met and raise his affection level.
But now that the game had become reality, things were different.
“So giving the same gift every time feels unnatural…”
Now that the game had become reality, Cecil’s reactions had also become more realistic.
“Come to think of it, his affection level hasn’t gone up either.”
Maybe the strategies she used when playing the game wouldn’t work the same way now that she had possessed this world.
If that was the case, she would need to adjust her approach to “capturing” the male leads.
As Lucy sank into serious thought, Cecil cleared his throat.
“Are you listening to me?”
Lucy lifted her gaze.
When their eyes met, Cecil let out a small sigh.
“How has your rehabilitation been lately?”
Lucy flinched.
After meeting Baslowmew, she had neglected stat training.
She glanced sideways.
When she checked her status window, intelligence, stamina, and charm were all still in the negative.
“I need to raise those too…”
But right now, the most important thing was succeeding in the Imperial Banquet quest.
Only after clearing that quest would she have time to focus on stats again.
Noticing her reaction, Cecil pushed back his slightly fallen hair.
“You should recover quickly. You can’t stay at the temple forever.”
With his arms crossed, he lectured her.
Lucy could only smile awkwardly.
Cecil, who had been quietly observing her, slowly spoke.
“I’ve heard you’ve been spending a lot of time with the young lord of the Faraday family.”
The combination of the “hated princess” and the “ill-stricken Baslowmew” had become an interesting topic among those in the temple.
It was strange enough that the two of them suddenly started meeting often, and people became curious about what they were doing together.
Some even speculated they were romantically involved.
The rumor spread uncontrollably.
Baslowmew visiting Lucy’s room several times also fueled it.
The rumor eventually reached Cecil’s ears.
Cecil thought it was none of his business who Lucy met.
But still, it bothered him.
He convinced himself that what irritated him was Lucy neglecting her treatment for distractions.
In truth, ever since the rumor began, Lucy had been ignoring her rehabilitation.
Even the special training equipment he had given her was now tossed into a corner.
The “holy dumbbell,” as it were, had been personally crafted by Cecil for her.
The more he thought about it, the more unpleasant he felt as he looked at Lucy.
“I’m not in a position to interfere, but as long as you’re staying at the temple, I hope you prioritize your treatment.”
Lucy’s eyes widened.
Cecil’s voice had sounded sharper than usual.
Afraid her affection points might drop, Lucy looked around.
She spotted a calendar and quickly brought it over.
Cecil watched her with a puzzled expression.
Lucy pointed at an upcoming date on the calendar.
Cecil leaned in slightly, still with his arms crossed.
At first he didn’t immediately recall what day it was, but after a moment he raised an eyebrow.
“Isn’t this the day of the Imperial Banquet?”
Lucy nodded quickly.
“Then as a princess, you’ll need to attend.”
Cecil narrowed his eyes.
“What does that have to do with our conversation…?”
He trailed off and tilted his head.
“Are you planning to attend that banquet with the Faraday heir?”
When Lucy nodded, Cecil became even more confused.
Attending the banquet together?
“That man… is he your dance partner?”
He wondered if that was even possible.
How did they communicate?
Did they speak through gestures like he and Lucy sometimes did?
Even if communication was possible, how would they dance?
Lucy, who had poor stamina, and Baslowmew, who also looked frail—could they even manage a dance?
“Wouldn’t I be better suited?”
Cecil was also planning to attend the banquet.
If Lucy had asked him to be her dance partner, what then?
He owed her from before—he would have gladly accepted.
Thinking that way only made his mood sink further.
At that moment—
Ding!
[Affection change detected!]
[Cecil’s affection toward you has decreased.]
[Affection: ?? → ??]
Why?
Lucy felt like she had been struck by misfortune while doing nothing.
‘He must be angry that I’m neglecting treatment.’
Thinking that, Lucy quickly grabbed the sacred dumbbell and began lifting it in front of him.
Up and down, repeatedly.
She occasionally glanced at Cecil, but his cold expression did not change.
Finally, the day of the Imperial Banquet arrived.
Early in the morning, maids came to see Lucy.
They brought a dress for the banquet.
Well, it was technically just her old dress altered to look new.
Still, Lucy felt grateful to the maids for trying to make sure she didn’t look shabby.
After finishing preparations, Lucy waited for Baslowmew.
He had said he would get ready on his own, but Lucy didn’t trust that at all.
As expected, Baslowmew’s outfit was rather plain for a formal banquet.
“Wait a moment.”
Lucy headed to the temple garden.
After some thought, she picked a white calla flower and returned.
She gently placed it on Baslowmew’s chest.
Just that made him look much more lively and properly dressed.
Baslowmew glanced at the flower on his chest with clear displeasure but did not remove it.
“Let’s take the carriage.”
Lucy said to him.
They planned to ride Lucy’s carriage together.
She intended to get off with him, worried he might collapse again from exhaustion like last time.
Just then—
“Young master!”
Baslowmew’s attendant ran over in a hurry, calling him.
Lucy looked on curiously.
But Baslowmew’s expression was openly displeased.
“What are you doing leaving without a word?”
“Where I go is none of your concern.”
“Well, that’s—!”
The servant hesitated.
“You shouldn’t be going out so carelessly when you’re in poor health.”
At those words, Lucy frowned.
“Carelessly?”
She repeated the word.
Was that how a servant should speak to his master?
Not only that, but he was being far too intrusive.
The servant looked startled as Lucy stepped into the conversation.
“Get lost.”
Lucy spoke coldly.
Baslowmew blinked slightly in surprise.
The servant, flustered, eventually backed away.
As they got into the carriage, Baslowmew spoke.
“You can be quite harsh to your subordinates.”
He had only ever seen Lucy smiling before, so this was new.
Lucy felt awkward.
That image of her probably hadn’t looked good to him.
‘My intelligence stat is in the negatives…’
All she could manage was a short, clumsy response.
“There’s a reason for it.”
“What reason?”
“Let’s just say it’s related to a curse.”
Baslowmew looked like he didn’t understand.
But the one who truly didn’t understand was Lucy.
“Who is that servant to speak so freely to Baslowmew?”
“I’m not sure.”
Baslowmew answered vaguely as well.
The carriage carrying the two of them began heading toward the Imperial Palace.
