CATB Chapter 39

"What am I."

"What are you... that you'd voluntarily buy something cursed by demons? And not be affected by it?"

"I have no mana."

"None?"

"That thing only absorbs mana. Since I have no mana at all, it's safe for me."

"Then why were you trying to buy it?"

Killian suddenly hesitated.

"I don't have any reason to answer someone like you."

"What?"

"Everything got messed up because of you, so hurry up and get lost. You're bringing me bad luck."

"Killian!"

The Count sternly rebuked him for telling me to get lost. Belkellion looked down at Killian and opened his mouth.

"You should."

"....."

"Be more careful with your hands and mouth."

How satisfying this was. I secretly stuck my tongue out at Killian. He grumbled irritably.

"Alexa, you should also be more careful when judging such objects. Do you understand?"

"......"

"Answer."

"Yes..."

Regardless of my halfhearted response, Belkellion dropped the fountain pen to the ground.

Clang - the sound of the fountain pen's surface hitting the ground rang out, then Belkellion stepped on the pen with a crack. Whether he used mana along with it, where his foot had been, only yellow powder remained of what had been shaped like a pen moments before. At the same time, what seemed like Killian's thin groan leaked out.

"Let's head back now. Too much time has been wasted because of this."

"...I'm sorry, Belkellion."

Belkellion looked down at me, then turned and gave a brief nod to the Count. Though the Grand Duke certainly held a higher position than the Count, there was no need for him to bow his head, but it was the minimum courtesy he could show to an elderly noble.

"...Yes, Grand Duke. My son was very rude."

The Count, who seemed to hesitate for a moment, reacted somewhat slowly. It seemed like he had been watching me the whole time...

I curtsied to the Count and followed the Grand Duke. The Count hesitated slightly, then nodded to accept my greeting. Throughout our walk, I felt as if the Count's gaze was boring into my back.

My head was still complicated from the curse incident, so I kept my mouth shut until we left the market. Perhaps noticing my gloomy mood, Belkellion also didn't try to make conversation. Suddenly realizing I should change the atmosphere, I thought I needed to lighten the mood. He had brought me all the way here today, and I was more grateful than I could express - I couldn't waste time like this over my personal matters. I spoke first, even forcing out an artificial laugh.

"Did you hear what the Count said to him earlier? Called him a reckless colt. Hehehe, serves him right for getting scolded."

Thinking of how that little brat who had been yapping at me became a docile puppy with his tail between his legs in front of the Count made me want to sneer. Belkellion looked at me steadily, and when I giggled, he let out a shallow sigh.

"You're no better, Alexa."

"...What did you say?"

"......"

"......"

"You're right. I did cause some trouble today. I'm sorry."

"No, that's a relief."

The way Belkellion said this didn't seem particularly angry, so I felt a bit more at ease. Today I'd been nothing but trouble, but ugh, you're such an angel.

"Alexa needs to be more careful and wary of everything."

Even in his level tone, I could sense the worry for me, so I nodded.

"Thank you."

Even though I said it quietly, Belkellion seemed to hear it and looked back at me. Wow, those eyelashes...

"Today was really, really fun thanks to you. It was truly, truly enjoyable."

"I'm glad if that's the case."

Belkellion smiled faintly.

"But, Belkellion..."

As I dragged out my words, he looked at me with an expression that seemed to say "Hm?"

I had been wondering about something for a while and decided to ask. The mood had lightened a bit, so it should be okay to ask now, right...

"What about the yogurt?"

As soon as I finished speaking, his indifferent gaze bore down on me.

I've gotten pretty good at reading Belkellion's expressions lately, and I'd bet all my remaining mana that this was definitely him glaring at me.

Killian finally let out the breath he'd been holding only after the Grand Duke turned and left, and that violent tomboy with her brute strength had disappeared from the market entrance.

"F*ck, I almost got completely screwed."

Even though he was said to be a descendant of demons, he could skillfully use the high-level technique of emitting killing intent toward specific people - the black murderous aura that emanated from his casual warning tone had wrapped around him tightly. Since his father's mana remained unchanged, this oppressive, suffocating weight was probably only felt by himself. It was on a completely different level from when he'd dealt with that rabid b*tch earlier.

Though that tomboy possessed power beyond his control, there had been no killing intent when she grabbed his wrist and glared at him. That's why, even though he had used mana thinking to give the weakling who was mocking him a little taste, he hadn't actually intended to kill or seriously hurt her. He had hit her because what she said was so annoying. (Killian didn't regret that initial flick to the forehead at all.) But the man called Grand Duke was different.

'That bastard would just kill everyone if things went south.'

He wouldn't even bother with back-and-forth fighting like that girl. Just a clean neck snap kind of style. Killian shuddered. In the midst of this, he also paid his respects to the Grand Duke's taste in protecting that insane girl.

'Fucking birds of a feather, extremely so. You two have fun together.'

Ugh, what terrible luck. Of all people to run into, it had to be that dog-like brat... and getting caught by father too... and losing mana... Is this some kind of triple disaster lately? So annoying.

Killian grumbled. That pen had contained an enormous amount of magical power, damn it. If he had just converted that to mana, he wouldn't have had to return to the tower for a while... damn, really got hit with bad luck.

Even with a frown on his face, the delicate young man's face was still handsome, and passing girls occasionally glanced at him. He scratched his head roughly.

"What are you looking at, f*ck."

At his prickly voice, the girls who had been secretly stealing glances were startled and hurried their steps.

"All of you, get lost."

Unaware of his son's growing hysteria beside him, the Count who had been watching the black-haired man and woman gradually disappear into the distance for a long time muttered.

"Alexa, Alexa indeed..."

After finishing my brief outing with Belkellion and returning while humming la la la, Lily was stomping her feet at the palace entrance.

"Princess! This is terrible! What should we do?!"

She was always one to make a fuss, but her expression looked quite serious. I was glad I had parted with Belkellion earlier (he would definitely blame himself for everything if something went wrong, so it was better he wasn't here for situations like this) and approached Lily.

"What's wrong?"

"His Majesty found out that you weren't in the palace! He's furious right now and said to come straight to the central palace as soon as you return..."

"......"

F*ck, I cursed internally. I wondered why my luck had been so good. No, actually, my luck had been bad from the start - from that brat to that cursed pen.

"I'm sorry. I should have handled it better..."

"It would have been discovered eventually anyway."

With all the eyes Ariel had planted in my palace, no matter how carefully I had slipped out, they would have noticed my absence within half a day. It was too late to chase after me, so they probably immediately tattled to the king.

I sneered at Ariel's somewhat visible moves. Playing childish games like this? I thought you were more sophisticated than that.

"Alexa!"

In the king's audience chamber, Alexa's family members including Ariel were already seated. As soon as I entered, the king's angry voice shook the enormous palace.

"I greet the Supreme One of Pellipe, Your Majesty."

Whether he liked it or not, I was already someone who no longer felt fear from shouting and yelling.

"Are you in your right mind or not! Leaving the palace on your own during such an important time?"

"......"

"Tomorrow is the banquet, and a princess behaving so thoughtlessly!"

Since I had been rejecting his calls for subjugation and ignoring his additional summons, he seemed to have built up a lot of resentment, because upon seeing me, the king scolded me in rapid succession.

"I have long pitied your circumstances and mercifully allowed you to live in the palace without proper manners or etiquette, doing as you pleased, but your behavior disturbing the palace like a thunder-struck wild child is utterly presumptuous! What if someone had recognized you! There are limits even to bringing shame to the royal family's dignity!"

The king panted briefly, overcome with anger.

"The Queen and your sickly elder sister are all working themselves to the bone preparing for the banquet, while you, young as you are, don't think to help but leisurely go out to play? Are you aware that you are a princess of this country?!"

The king's shout rang out loudly. In contrast to him, the royal family members seated in the audience chamber were watching both him and me alternately, reading the atmosphere. Though it wasn't rationally understandable why he was so furious over such a trivial matter, after all, I had probably looked hateful to him since I refused his summons, and it was I who gave the king something to pick on today. I should have prepared perfectly so there wouldn't be a single thing to find fault with before going out, but I was also a bit excited and let my guard down slightly.

"Father, you're too agitated. Sister must have had her reasons."

Wilhelm, who had been seated beside the king, stepped forward as if trying to calm the king's resounding voice that filled the audience chamber.

"Perhaps sister found the sudden palace life difficult? Having lived freely for such a long period, it must have been difficult to suddenly adapt to the rigid palace."

Wilhelm continued speaking and asked me. His face bore a somewhat artificial-looking smile.

"But Ariel said there was someone accompanying you..."

"What? You didn't go alone?"

The king asked, hearing Wilhelm's words.

"How could our Alexa, who doesn't know the capital, have gone out alone? Surely someone deceived our innocent sister."

"....."

"While it was certainly sister's mistake to hastily leave on the eve of the royal family's important event, the banquet, since there exists someone who instigated sister, I believe it would be wise for His Majesty, the wise Supreme One of Pellipe, to clearly judge the matter."

Wilhelm's tongue moved as smoothly as if oiled. He wasn't usually a child who used such pretentious speech patterns and roundabout methods - I wondered what had happened and moved my gaze to meet eyes with Ariel, who was quietly observing this entire situation.

She smiled kindly at me. Her eyes seemed to say, "See? This is the result of opposing me," and I turned my head away.