Episode 91. I’ll Rise Beyond Your Rejection
“Her Highness the Princess likes me a lot now. I already told her about the last time I met you at the tailor shop, and I told her about my promise today. It probably won’t go as planned.”
“Miss Lorisha.”
“...”
“I’ve never lost. I told you. You will be the first lover of this playboy, Locard Kydel.”
“...Was it really your first time? I thought you were joking.”
Kydel furrowed his brow slightly, as if his pride was hurt by my surprise.
“I’ve been holding a sword since I was four. As soon as my head grew, I became the youngest knight, and at the same time, I prepared for early graduation from the academy, and when I was done with that, I went to the Tunbar Mountains.”
“Not early admission, but graduation?”
“I found it possible as I studied.”
Since he was so talented, I couldn’t think of anything to criticize him for.
“So I thought I should just finish this and find a marriage partner, and it just so happened that it’s now.”
“Did you think of love as work?”
I asked, and then thought it was a mistake.
Aren’t nobles like that? They get engaged to each other as soon as they’re born, and marriage is more like a transaction. They’re people who are born and die for their families.
He didn’t try to hide it this time either.
“I thought of it as a responsibility rather than work. If I had known it would be this enjoyable, I would have made time for it sooner.”
I wish this man would hide his feelings a little.
“Why did you work so hard?”
I asked, genuinely curious.
If he were the son of the first lion, he would have inherited all that honor and wealth without much effort.
Even his grandson could brag about his grandfather being the first lion for the rest of his life.
He simply answered,
“Because I’m Kydel.”
The distant feeling I once felt from him came back to me, and I was silent for a moment.
While I was struggling to support myself, he was devoting his life to becoming a worthy successor to a family that could be called the power of the empire itself.
It was unpleasant, but I had to admit that it was natural for His Highness Grayon to cherish him and keep him by his side, and for people to look up to him.
In the meantime, the table was set.
I was speechless as I looked at the giant lobster in front of us.
'Does this man have a grudge against the sea?'
I was about to grab a small hammer to break the lobster's shell, but he quickly took it away.
I said bluntly,
"Don't hit me."
Then he laughed, puffing out his breath. It meant that he hadn't even thought of hitting me with it.
I asked, and then thought it was a mistake.
Aren’t nobles like that? They get engaged to each other as soon as they’re born, and marriage is more like a transaction. They’re people who are born and die for their families.
He didn’t try to hide it this time either.
“I thought of it as a responsibility rather than work. If I had known it would be this enjoyable, I would have made time for it sooner.”
I wish this man would hide his feelings a little.
“Why did you work so hard?”
I asked, genuinely curious.
If he were the son of the first lion, he would have inherited all that honor and wealth without much effort.
Even his grandson could brag about his grandfather being the first lion for the rest of his life.
He simply answered,
“Because I’m Kydel.”
The distant feeling I once felt from him came back to me, and I was silent for a moment.
While I was struggling to support myself, he was devoting his life to becoming a worthy successor to a family that could be called the power of the empire itself.
It was unpleasant, but I had to admit that it was natural for His Highness Grayon to cherish him and keep him by his side, and for people to look up to him.
In the meantime, the table was set.
I was speechless as I looked at the giant lobster in front of us.
'Does this man have a grudge against the sea?'
I was about to grab a small hammer to break the lobster's shell, but he quickly took it away.
I said bluntly,
"Don't hit me."
Then he laughed, puffing out his breath. It meant that he hadn't even thought of hitting me with it.
He took my plate and began to spread the lobster meat on it.
"It's okay..."
It really was okay.
However, it was too late to stop him, and I ended up getting lost in his hand movements.
I thought knights were people who used brute force to kill their enemies, but his hand movements were really delicate.
Then, when I thought about how he had killed the Amata with such delicate swordplay, I shuddered.
“Miss Lorisha, are you okay?”
I said, embarrassed.
“Why, why are you suddenly Lorisha?”
“Yes?”
“Loire. Loire.”
Then he looked at me and smiled brightly.
“You have gained confidence, Miss Loire.”
“...”
This kid suddenly struck my heart. As if he had overheard the conversation between the Count and me.
I realized that he had already said something similar to the Count a long time ago.
‘Since you are confused about your identity between Loire and Loba, shouldn’t you use a fixed title?’
It was unpleasant.
But he was right.
Until now, I had felt that the surname Loire that had been given to me was too heavy and cumbersome. But I didn’t dare to insist on being Loba. I was afraid that I would become too lonely if I used that surname.
But now, I could bear the weight and the cumber of Loire. It wasn’t as hard for me to call myself Loire and think of the Count as my father.
Prince Kydel smiled and placed a heap of lobster meat on my plate.
“This sauce is a special Etrang. You should definitely try it, Midd Lorisha.”
“Are you ignoring my request?”
I glared at him. Then he rolled his eyes and smiled mischievously.
“The surrounding tables are all focused on us right now. It would be nice to call you Miss Lorisha to look friendly.”
“Just kill me.”
I took a deep breath and put the lobster meat in my mouth with my fork.
“Oh my...!”
“Heh.”
I have been abused by prejudice my entire life since I was born. And yet, even I have lived with prejudice.
These damn nobles were not idle here because they had nothing to do. They were flocking here because this special Etrang sauce was delicious!
Prince Kydel smiled as if he was smitten with my eyes, which were shaking helplessly from the shock of the taste, and then smashed his lobster.
I was already entranced by the taste, and I forgot the cold gazes of the tables around us and even the time.
I came back to this world when I was full and wanted to loosen my belt a little.
I regretted having eaten too absentmindedly, but I can’t pretend that delicious food wasn’t delicious.
“Your Excellency, it was the best.”
“I’m a bit like that.”
“No, it’s the food.”
“I ordered it.”
“Yes, yes. The Prince is the best.”
“No way.”
Prince Kydel nodded with a very proud face.
I should have felt today’s defeat bitterly, but my stomach was full and my mind was relaxed, so that wasn’t easy.
Moreover, he seemed quite satisfied with my thanks, so the atmosphere between us unintentionally softened.
When the plates were cleared and dessert came out, he took out a ring box from his bosom and placed it on the table.
“It’s a gift.”
“...?”
A ring. Was the ring I knew the same as the ring he knew?
I instinctively felt that I shouldn’t even touch that box, but I was confused inside.
His goal was to break the Princess’s trust in me, not to marry me.
However, when I thought of his incompetent teacher, his swordsmanship instructor, a chill ran down my spine.
Prince Kydel looked at me staring at the ring box, then opened it himself as if he couldn’t wait any longer.
Inside was a brilliantly shining emerald ring.
“Your Excellency?”
“I bought it at Riley’s auction. It’s the emerald ring of the Princess you were falsely accused of stealing, right?”
I had been beaten so much because of this ring. I looked at the beautiful ring, shining in a clear green, and said bluntly.
“You’re giving me my bloody memories as a gift?”
“I thought it would be fun to return it to you after seeing it at the auction house. Break it, throw it away, whatever you want to feel good about.”
“Don’t joke around with something this expensive. I can’t accept it.”
“At least take a look. Have you ever worn it?”
“No. They basically gave the whole box to the auction house...”
At that time, I remembered how I wished the ring I stole would fit my finger. I absentmindedly took out the ring and put it on, and it fit perfectly, just like it was mine.
Oh my...
The memory of being beaten by the head maid came back vividly.
Oh my.
I looked at the back of my hand with a blank face, then put the ring in the box and pushed it in front of him.
Then, small screams and sighs like “Oh my”, “Gasp”, “Oh my!” erupted from all around me.
“...?”
I looked around and saw many women, including the Tea Party ladies, staring at me without even trying to hide their shocked faces.
Their eyes looked as if I weren’t even human.
I wanted to check if I was holding a severed human head in my hand.
What, again, why?
I turned my head sharply and glared at Prince Kydel, and he was smiling broadly. I felt ominous.
Then, he nodded at the ring.
“Ah!”
I managed to say, holding back my pounding heart.
“Right now, people are misunderstanding that you proposed to me! But I...!”
“Oh. I see.”
His response was so insincere that I couldn’t even curse.
“Prince, what the...!”
He still answered halfheartedly.
“I am deeply hurt, but I am a war hero of Tagar. I will not give up so easily. I will overcome the wounds of your rejection today and continue to push forward, so know that, my Miss Lorisha.”
“Ha...”
I was afraid that my soul would slip out through my dislocated jaw, but I did not have the strength to move my hand.
The clerk who was serving tea gave Prince Kydel a glance to see if I was okay.
I finally spoke after the clerk left.
“Is this really fun?”
“Lady Lorisha, this is unlike any fight I’ve ever learned or done. Fun? I don’t know about that. But it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this excited to the bone. I appreciate that.”
I couldn’t hear him very well anymore.
I admit it. He said we could communicate quite well.
But just because we could communicate well doesn’t mean his crazy way of thinking was okay.
I hastily gathered up my napkin and placed it on the table.
“I’m going now, Your Excellency.”
“You’re giving me my bloody memories as a gift?”
“I thought it would be fun to return it to you after seeing it at the auction house. Break it, throw it away, whatever you want to feel good about.”
“Don’t joke around with something this expensive. I can’t accept it.”
“At least take a look. Have you ever worn it?”
“No. They basically gave the whole box to the auction house...”
At that time, I remembered how I wished the ring I stole would fit my finger. I absentmindedly took out the ring and put it on, and it fit perfectly, just like it was mine.
Oh my...
The memory of being beaten by the head maid came back vividly.
Oh my.
I looked at the back of my hand with a blank face, then put the ring in the box and pushed it in front of him.
Then, small screams and sighs like “Oh my”, “Gasp”, “Oh my!” erupted from all around me.
“...?”
I looked around and saw many women, including the Tea Party ladies, staring at me without even trying to hide their shocked faces.
Their eyes looked as if I weren’t even human.
I wanted to check if I was holding a severed human head in my hand.
What, again, why?
I turned my head sharply and glared at Prince Kydel, and he was smiling broadly. I felt ominous.
Then, he nodded at the ring.
“Ah!”
I managed to say, holding back my pounding heart.
“Right now, people are misunderstanding that you proposed to me! But I...!”
“Oh. I see.”
His response was so insincere that I couldn’t even curse.
“Prince, what the...!”
He still answered halfheartedly.
“I am deeply hurt, but I am a war hero of Tagar. I will not give up so easily. I will overcome the wounds of your rejection today and continue to push forward, so know that, my Miss Lorisha.”
“Ha...”
I was afraid that my soul would slip out through my dislocated jaw, but I did not have the strength to move my hand.
The clerk who was serving tea gave Prince Kydel a glance to see if I was okay.
I finally spoke after the clerk left.
“Is this really fun?”
“Lady Lorisha, this is unlike any fight I’ve ever learned or done. Fun? I don’t know about that. But it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this excited to the bone. I appreciate that.”
I couldn’t hear him very well anymore.
I admit it. He said we could communicate quite well.
But just because we could communicate well doesn’t mean his crazy way of thinking was okay.
I hastily gathered up my napkin and placed it on the table.
“I’m going now, Your Excellency.”
“I’ll show you a good walking course. My instructor swore that no woman would dislike a nice walk after dinner.”
“You take the walk with your instructor, and I must return to the palace and report the situation to Her Highness Milliora.”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out in tears.
“Before Her Highness misunderstands!”
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