IDEFYEM - Chapter 39

IDEFYEM - Chapter 39

Black Man, I'll Do Everything For You Except Marriage!



"Even if the sky falls right now, the most precious thing to me is you!"

After that, the first person to speak through the long silence was Kael.

"... Was that a confession just now?"

Bacchus blatantly looked away and cleared his throat. 

I pursed my lips and barely managed to say two words in a hushed voice.

"It meant love."

"Haha."

Kael smiled softly while lowering his heated face. I stopped crying and thought about how happy he looked.

Yes, it's enough as long as Kael is happy.

"I don't feel comfortable ignoring such a passionate confession."

"So please go back."

I spoke in a slightly blunt tone.

"What happened with Martha is not important at all compared to Kael. I'm not even happy to get your help like that."

"If you say that, I understand. Instead, be sure to have an escort with you."

Kael, who finally broke his stubbornness, agreed as if there was nothing he could do.

"Is Hayden in the tent?"

Bacchus wisely intervened.

"Even so, he was very disappointed. He would be happy to serve as Lady's escort again."

"Kael went too far this time."

When I spoke to him as if teasing him, the man sighed playfully.

"It makes me want to immediately cancel the decision I worked so hard to make."

Thanks to the two horses Bacchus brought, I was able to save myself the trouble of returning home. We hurried back to our destination at a noticeably faster speed.

After saying goodbye to Kael and telling each other to take care of ourselves, we parted ways.

Judging by Bacchus' unusual haste, it seemed like time was really running out. I was just explaining what had happened so far to Hayden, who had joined instead.

"I'm embarrassed because I'm exposing my secrets, but just think of me as having an immature younger sister."

"It must have been hard for you, Lady."

I was grateful to Hayden who simply comforted me without saying much.

"How is the situation there?"

"It's quite complicated. The awards ceremony is coming soon, and there is debate as to whether it is right to include monsters as prey."

I finally arrived at my destination while coaxing the galloping horse.

Numerous nobles and servants moved busily between the tents stretched out. I felt at ease when I returned to the place after a few days, but that only lasted for a moment. 

Coincidentally, I immediately found Martha sitting at an outdoor table chatting with the ladies.

"That's when I discovered the monster. I felt afraid, but I used the archery skills I learned from my family to break through the scales...."

What am I listening to now?

I was listening to Martha's bragging with a feeling of exasperation.

Martha, who looked this way as if she felt the gaze, flinched and was surprised.

"Of course, the winner is the Lady! You saved us all from danger with such a delicate body."

"That's right. If that doesn't happen, I will protest loudly."

Martha, who was also good at social skills, seemed to have already formed several sides of her own. Most of her followers were young ladies who were easily incited.

Martha, who was looking at me with shaking eyes, immediately looked away.

"When did you say the awards ceremony was, Hayden?"

"About an hour later."

It was useless to worry that I might lose heart when I saw her face.

I'm going to expose it in the most public way and see tears flow from those eyes.

***

Round, round.

The majestic sound of drums being beaten. At the banquet, the sound signaled that the awards ceremony had begun.

The nobles who were resting in their respective tents gathered together one by one.

A young man dressed in a royal military uniform spoke into a loudspeaker.

"First of all, I would like to thank everyone who went through all the hard work to attend this event. I hope you had a great time at this year's Hunting Banquet."

Having missed the start of the banquet, I imagined a very grand atmosphere. I felt a little relaxed in the atmosphere, which felt more like an ordinary event than expected.

The young man lightly cleared his throat and continued speaking with a smile.

"At this banquet, there was a small incident where a monster was discovered in the forest."

At this point, the lips parted slightly.

It was a small accident, so they were trying to minimize their mistake as much as possible.

I grumbled to myself, thinking that it was as rotten as Kael had said.

"However, please know that there are always guards dispatched to the Royal Forest to respond to unexpected situations, so it was never a dangerous situation."

"..."

"Nevertheless, I would like to thank Lady Martha Wintersoar for her hard work in slaying the monster."

Martha, who was receiving attention from people, smiled shyly.

"A Young Lady like that killed a large monster?"

I quickly focused on a question asked by someone in the crowd. There are certainly people who have doubts about this situation.

Martha, who lies, avoids the moment when she has to prove herself.

The royal family, trying to avoid responsibility for negligent management, simply does not dig deep into the situation.

"Now then, let's start announcing the rankings."

"Wait a minute. "I have an objection!"

I raised my hand and shouted. Well, hundreds of eyes were focused on me. It was something I was fully prepared for, but when I faced the actual situation, my throat burned.

Nevertheless, I hid my nervousness and steadfastly spoke loudly and clearly.

All we can do is find out the truth anyway. There's nothing to be afraid of.

"I'm sorry for interrupting the proceedings. But I have something to say."

"What is going on, Young Lady?"

"I'm sorry, but this is directly related to the royal family's honor. Please concentrate for a moment."

First, the seriousness of the situation is communicated through heavy word choice. I walked out to the center without hesitation and stood in front of the people.

"Is there anyone here who personally witnessed Lady Martha slaying a monster?"

Secondly, it instills doubt.

Instead of whispering, there was a cold silence in the crowd. As expected, no one listened to me carefully from the beginning. Then Martha opened her mouth.

"Why on earth are you doing this to me, sister? Are you still jealous of me?"

With a small stir, her followers opened their mouths.

"Yes, My Lady, Lady Martha fought with great courage."

"That's right. Where did you come from, Young Lady, to do this?"

"Apologize for your rudeness right away!"

But that reaction was exactly what I was waiting for.

"Martha, would you like to show me the scales of the monster you brought as a trophy?"

"I don't think there's any reason for me to show you that."

As she gave a sharp answer, it seemed like she missed a bit. Even people who trusted Martha would think it strange if she suddenly hid the loot she was showing off earlier.

Then a familiar voice from the crowd came to my side.

"Please show me, young lady. I wonder what will happen next." 

It was Tristan Dyke.

The handsome man, with his lips softly raised, narrowed his eyes at me.

Martha, who tried to smile leisurely amidst the focused attention of people, reluctantly presented her scales.

When I flicked it with my finger, it made a sound like hitting metal. I held my rock-hard scales high for all to see.

"Even a blade clad in sword energy cannot pierce these scales. But Martha said she used a bow."

At that time, her friend opened their mouth urgently.

"You are Lady Martha's older sister. How can you do this?"

"It's a hunting banquet hosted by the royal family. Shouldn't fairness be more important than anything else?"

There was a reason why I put the royal family on the line every time I spoke. It means don't think about getting over this with that heavy name attached to it.

"Moreover, I don't think it's good for me to blindly cover up my family's mistakes."

The stinging gazes looking at me were definitely decreasing. At that moment, a few tears began to fall down Martha's cheeks.

"I am... I'm really innocent."

The tears streaming down his innocent face definitely had an impact. 

"That's right, the fact that arrows can't pierce the scales is just an illusion after all."

The person who saw her face became agitated and shouted at me. 

"In the end, there is no evidence...."

"I have proof."

When I thought I had dragged it out enough, I said in a relieved voice.

"I'm the one who killed the monster."

The noise of the crowd became louder than ever. Eventually, someone snorted and asked.

"How did you manage to do what Lady Martha couldn't do?"

"Is it so. The two of you have similar physiques anyway, so that doesn't make sense!"

I took a deep breath and squeezed and unclenched my right hand.

"Like this."

Suddenly, a large flame ignited and flickered at the tip of my finger. I was no longer the Grand Duke's fiancé or the sickly eldest daughter of Wintersoar.

Enrica Wintersoar.

It was the first time that name was imprinted in people's minds.


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