LTTCH 20

Chapter 20

“…”

“Besides, I thought Lady Sober preferred rainy weather.”

I’m screwed.

I’d promised myself not to act suspicious, yet I immediately went and did something stupid.

Forcing an awkward smile, I replied,

“People’s tastes change all the time.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

Fortunately, the Duke seemed to let it go without further suspicion.

After that, the Duke continued talking.

He asked whether the carriage ride had been tiring, whether my dress suited me today, whether the food suited my taste, and so on.

Completely useless things.

I stared down at my feet and answered appropriately.

“Lady Sober.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“…Do you remember what happened at the Spring Banquet last time?”

I was wondering when he’d bring that up.

I cautiously nodded.

“I heard Lady Lockwood has been very unwell. That her memories are unstable, and she seems like an entirely different person.”

“R-Right. Beatrice has been very sick.”

“What exactly is wrong with her? Is there anything I can do to help?”

The Duke looked at me with genuine concern.

Even after getting beaten up like that, he was still worrying about Uncle. What even is love?

I spent a long moment wondering what to say that wouldn’t lower his affection for Uncle while still sounding believable.

Then the Duke prompted me.

“Lady Sober?”

“Well… as for what’s wrong with Beatrice… Ah, right! Her head! She injured her head. That’s why her memory’s all over the place, and sometimes she gets a bit violent, and it seems she’s forgotten things like etiquette too. So even if Beatrice acts strangely, please try to understand. Just think, ‘She must be really sick.’ Oh, and Beatrice also seems truly sorry about what happened with Your Grace at the Spring Banquet. I know you must be upset and bewildered, but please forgive her.”

Using exaggerated hand gestures, I finally finished my lengthy explanation.

Whew. That should make him see Uncle in a better light, right?

Nervously, I glanced at the affection meter floating above the Duke’s head.

[Affection Level 65%]

Thank goodness. It went up a little!

I was secretly cheering when I noticed the Duke staring at me intently.

Like, really staring.

So much that I wondered if I had food on my face.

“W-Why are you looking at me like that?”

“This is the first time I’ve heard Lady Sober speak so much. You always kept your head lowered around me and rarely looked at me directly. Our conversations were usually quite short.”

“Haha… was I really like that?”

“It seems Lady Sober has changed somewhat as well.”

Crap. I’d been so focused on raising his affection level that I forgot Rene’s characterization.

I quickly lowered my gaze to the floor.

Cold sweat ran down my back as I swallowed nervously.

And then—

“The head of the Lockwood Marquis family and Lady Lockwood enter!”

The announcement of our female lead’s arrival echoed throughout the banquet hall.

Sure enough, the Duke’s gaze immediately left me and shifted toward the entrance.

His eyes looked surprisingly wistful.

See? That’s all thanks to my excellent explanation.

Soon, I saw Uncle descending the staircase while holding onto the Marquis’s arm, dressed up unbelievably beautifully.

“Whoa.”

I unconsciously gasped in admiration.

Today’s Uncle, wearing a violet dress, was a perfect one hundred out of one hundred.

I was staring at her with my mouth hanging open when—

Uncle suddenly smiled brightly in my direction, only for her expression to stiffen moments later.

Then, with a terrifying look on her face, she started marching this way.

What’s with her?

“And what are you supposed to be?”

Uncle practically shoved me behind her before growling at the Duke.

Apparently, after what happened with the Crown Prince last time, she was now wary of anyone carrying a sword.

But unlike someone else, the Duke wasn’t the kind of person to suddenly pull a blade on people.

Of course, Uncle had no way of knowing that, so she glared at the Duke like she wanted to kill him.

“I apologize if I startled you. I was merely having a conversation with Lady Sober.”

“Right, Beatrice. Don’t you remember the Duke? He’s a very gen.tle.man.ly person.”

I deliberately emphasized the word “gentleman,” hoping Uncle would remember the original-story information I had written down for her.

Duke Wishes! Male lead number two! Please remember, Uncle!

As I stared at her desperately, Uncle frowned as though thinking hard about something.

Then she let out an “Ah.”

And pointed at the Duke.

“Male lea—”

“AAAH!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs to stop her, and the Duke, startled by my sudden outburst, turned toward me with wide eyes.

“Lady Sober, are you alright?”

I smiled at the Duke as though nothing had happened before glaring fiercely at Uncle.

Fortunately, realizing she had almost made a mistake, Uncle shut her mouth.

“Lady Lockwood, are you feeling any better?”

Perhaps remembering the chaos of the Spring Banquet, Uncle grimaced.

Then, awkwardly scratching the back of her head, she held out her hand toward the Duke.

Like she was asking for a handshake.

“I’m sorry about last time… sir. My memory’s been all messed up.”

She was trying to sound polite, but…

What kind of female lead scratches her head and offers the male lead a handshake?!

The Duke also looked bewildered as he stared blankly at the hand Uncle extended before eventually taking it.

“It’s alright. Your fists felt more like cotton than anything else.”

You say that, but you were pretty badly injured.

I swallowed the comment.

There was no point ruining the good atmosphere.

“My fists… felt like cotton… sir?”

However, Uncle looked offended.

She was speaking politely, but her eyes were absolutely murderous.

Please, I’m begging you, let nothing happen this time.

BWOOOOO—.

It seemed the departure ceremony was finally beginning, because trumpet blasts rang out as a servant loudly announced the arrival of the imperial family.

“His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, and His Highness the Crown Prince enter!”

Like the other nobles, I bowed to welcome the imperial family.

When I noticed Uncle standing perfectly straight, I hurriedly whispered for her to bow.

“So that’s the boss of this world, huh?”

The way Uncle looked at the Emperor and Empress felt strangely ominous.

“Should we just get rid of them and become the bosses ourselves?”

Are you insane, Uncle?

Get a grip. Killing the Emperor is treason!

Right as I discreetly smacked Uncle on the back—

The Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince entered the banquet hall.

“Raise your heads.”

At the Emperor’s command, I lifted my head together with the other nobles.

Just as described in the original story, the Emperor was a handsome man with a dignified aura.

I could instantly tell he must’ve made countless noble ladies cry in his youth.

So that’s where the Crown Prince got his looks from.

The Crown Prince’s mother, the Empress, was also a refined beauty.

The power of genetics was truly terrifying.

I was inwardly admiring the imperial couple’s visuals when—

The Emperor raised his hand.

The trumpets sounded once more, and the grand doors opened as rows of knights marched into the banquet hall.

The knights crossed the hall before kneeling before the Emperor.

The Emperor gave a speech of some kind before concluding with,

“I pray for your safe return.”

But something felt strange.

Mixed among the knights were several mysterious people who clearly didn’t look like knights at all.

“Who are those people? They don’t seem like knights.”

At my question, the Duke glanced toward the departing group before casually answering,

“Ah, they’re mages.”

“Mages?”

“Yes. Apparently, an energy similar to dark magic was detected in the northern mountain range where Kaysis is located. It seems they’re accompanying the expedition to investigate it.”

Dark magic? This world had dark magic too?

Since it had never been mentioned in the original story, I stared in surprise while the Duke calmly continued speaking.