episode_0038

Nia, with her face bright red, kept her mouth shut and guided them.

Sneak.

Swish.

Sigh.

Swish… .

“Why are you like that, Your Majesty?”

Ellen kept raising and lowering her hand as if to grab Luke’s collar.

“Do you have anything to say?”

“Yeah.”

Elin, startled, closed her eyes and wiggled her fingers.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yes?”

It was an unexpected apology.

“… I saw the teacher’s picture secretly.”

No, looking around, it seemed like only Luke was out of the blue.

Nia and Bena are looking around furtively.

I felt like the air was awkward, whether I knew it or not.

So that’s why.

“It’s okay. What’s the big deal if you show me some pictures?”

“… Really?”

Ellen looked up at Luke.

He blinked his eyes for about 3 seconds.

“Then can I just take one photo?”

The attitude changed.

“Why do you take that?”

“In commemoration.”

“I don’t know what it is for, but… do whatever you want.”

Then, Bena, who had been hesitating, came closer quickly.

“Ho, can I take it too?”

“… Why are you taking it again, Bena?”

“gi, as a souvenir… ?”

So that’s why it’s called a commemoration.

It was a truly incomprehensible emotion.

Luke shrugged his shoulders, meaning to tell her to figure it out.

“No way.”

Rather, the words of rejection came out of Elin’s mouth.

“Yes?”

“You can’t be Bena Youngae.”

Elin shook her head firmly.

He squeezed his way between Bena and Luke, putting some distance between them.

“Why?! Luke, Luke gave me permission… .”

I know.

Why is it that Elin can’t do it even though the parties involved gave permission?

I was looking at it out of curiosity.

Ellen opened her mouth solemnly.

“Because you’re my teacher… Anyway, that won’t work.”

The reason wasn’t as logical as I had expected.

“Ugh… Okay.”

Bena, who had lost even the chance to logically refute the argument, was helplessly defeated by the higher-ups.

After a brief commotion over the photo.

“This is a restaurant.”

Nia turned around and pointed to a restaurant with a nice smell wafting around.

Victor stepped into the restaurant first and tapped Luke on the shoulder.

“It’s popular with kids.”

“That’s how it happened. I don’t know why, though.”

“I don’t know.”

Victor’s golden eyes burned fiercely.

“It seems like you’ve been so busy with your academy life that you haven’t even been able to contact home. You should at least make your name known.”

“… … ”

Victor, who had been stabbed in the back with words, went into the restaurant first.

I touched the chin lightly.

Fortunately, there was no hole.

I guess I’ll be raiding a lot like this while I’m in Berkeley.

I followed him into the restaurant, determined to be prepared so that I wouldn’t get hurt if I got stabbed at any time.

* * * * *

“I ate well.”

The meal was excellent.

To exaggerate a bit, it is on par with the Bertain Restaurant.

“Is it okay for me to put such an excessive amount of food in my mouth… .”

There was an incident where Bena trembled and felt uncomfortable throughout the meal.

-Continuing to speak in a manner that belittles oneself is an act that lowers the dignity of the family that invited one.

-… I’m sorry.

At Victor’s words, she quietly shut her mouth and put the food in her mouth with relish.

Anyway, in the end, everyone finished their meal happily.

“Princess, it’s time to drink your potion.”

And now it was Elin’s time to be unhappy.

“Anne. Give the potion to the princess.”

“Yes.”

Anne answered with a long tail and approached Elin, shaking the potion.

“Do I have to eat here too?”

“They say that if you want to be healthy, you shouldn’t skip even a single day.”

“Ugh… .”

Elin, who was looking at the potion with disgust, seemed to be thinking of getting rid of it quickly.

Gulp.

I drank the potion in one go.

The expression on his face began to distort.

I quickly put the candy in his mouth.

I wonder if the sweetness makes me feel better.

She poked Luke’s thigh while chewing on the candy.

“Teacher, are you going to see the puppet show too?”

Sparkling bright.

Ellin’s eyes shone so brightly that it made you wonder if she had ever been this lively.

“Is it okay if I watch it with you?”

“Hmm, maybe not.”

Elin turned her head to Bena.

Bena, who had been stared at, suddenly sat up.

“Of course! I would be honored if you would watch it… !”

“If it’s okay, I’ll go and take a look too… .”

“I’m sorry, but Luke has to stay and talk to me.”

Victor interrupted just as I was about to get up.

“Nia. First, show the guests to the rooms they will be staying in today.”

“Okay, brother.”

Nia nodded to Victor.

“Both of you, please follow me.”

I left the restaurant with Elin and Bena.

Of course, Anne, the personal maid, followed along.

Victor and Luke are the only ones left in the restaurant.

She looked at Victor with eyes full of disappointment.

“Why are your eyes open like that?”

“I also wanted to go see a puppet show.”

“Not even a kid, what the… … .”

Victor, who lacks the sensitivity of modern people, clicked his tongue.

It’s not that surprising, since I was born in a fantasy world in the first place.

but.

It is a doll that moves with the summoning magic that Bena shows.

The doll moves even though there are no strings!

There is no modern person who can tolerate a magic puppet show.

Of course, I didn’t list out a long list of reasons why I wanted to see a puppet show.

If you do that, I’ll look at you like I’m looking at a real brat.

“So what do you want to say?”

“Princess Elin Bertain’s body is cursed.”

A moment of silence fell.

Luke is speechless.

Victor was waiting for Luke’s answer.

Click.

Only after the maid placed the teacup on the table did Luke’s mouth open.

“How did you know?”

I don’t think it’s worth a try.

There is no reason for that.

Even if you try to find out, it doesn’t give you any helpful information about Berkeley.

“I tried to turn the mana around while eating. When I poured it on the princess’s body, the mana disappeared.”

“… … ”

“The mana contained in the mana heart is extremely pure.”

Even Lanian has to make physical contact when diagnosing another person’s body.

But you operated it secretly from a distance, and during meals at that?

I guess it’s not for nothing that he’s been named as the next head of Berkeley.

“Is the potion you drink after a meal meant to cure curses?”

This wasn’t a question asked out of curiosity.

The confidence to find the correct answer and throw it away.

All Luke had to do was nod.

“That’s right.”

“It was because of you that I asked about the North earlier.”

“If you looked into the princess’s body, you would have felt it too, brother.”

“Yes, it is too similar to the curse observed in northern creatures. I guess it is probably the same curse.”

But from here on out, even Victor doesn’t know the answer.

“Why is there such a curse on the princess?”

From here on out, I believed Luke would solve the mystery.

“I don’t know either. So, could you please find out for me?”

“What?”

What came back was a shameless request.

Victor frowned and put down his teacup.

“Why should I find out?”

“I don’t have time to go north because I’m teaching the princess.”

“I guess I have a lot of time.”

“I will register the patent for the long-distance communication paper in the name of the Bucklin family.”

Shu-

I took out a piece of stationery from the subspace.

Real-time communication using space magic.

An invention that only a select few people, including Luke, have.

Transferring the patent to the Bucklin family rather than to an individual.

This means that the family can develop and distribute long-distance communication paper without Luke’s consent.

A proposal that appears to have nothing but financial and political benefits.

Victor nodded after hearing the explanation.

“I’ll be going to the North soon.”

It was a great reward for a brief exploration trip to a cold region.

“Poisonous. It’s not only that he developed this magic, but also that he hid it from his family.”

“I didn’t hide it. I just didn’t contact you.”

“There is no problem in transferring the patent even if you break a few limbs.”

“I will close it.”

“Tsk.”

Victor clicked his tongue and emptied his teacup.

“I have to get up and go make some plans.”

“Please enter carefully.”

“Oh, and.”

Victor warned before leaving the restaurant.

“Be careful for the time being. The more the princess’s name becomes known, the more people will target her.”

“Are you talking about an assassination attempt or something?”

Surely there are no crazy people within the Empire who would touch Bertain.

“You never know. You have a special curse, and you have a special talent. So it’s not like you can’t be a target.”

With those words, Victor left the restaurant.

“They are the ones who are aiming for… .”

Luke muttered as he finished emptying his tea.

Is that event coming up?

It’s still too early, though.

There’s no harm in preparing in advance.

If Luke’s thoughts on the events are correct.

If you make a mistake here, you’ll end up in the bad ending.

* * * * *

Ellen, who got one of the few solo shots of young Luke.

Ellin, who was holding the photo carefully in her arms, opened her mouth wide.

“… I think it’s too wide.”

The room that Nia brought me to was almost twice as big as the one I had been staying in at the Gongjakjak.

“We must give the princess the best room without fail.”

“The three of us can sleep here together.”

“Oh my, is that okay? I like it so much.”

Nia smiled and joked.

“Ugh… That, that kind of honor is allowed…?”

Anyone who looked at it could see that Bena was sincere.

Elin nodded to Bena, who was about to lose her breath.

“If you show me a puppet show, I can sleep with you.”

It was a suggestion made by Elin, who had been thirsty for a puppet show since a while ago.

“Of course! I’ll show you right now!!”

At that moment, the timid Baroness Youngae disappeared.

All that’s left here is a summoner with a burning desire to hug a soft human pillow.

Woof-

Raises mana.

Small grains poured out of the pocket.

Soon the grains came together tightly to form a doll.

“Ugh… .”

Rabbits, foxes, cats, etc.

The cute stuffed animals really hit Elin’s taste.

“Haha, it’s still too early to be surprised to this extent… !”

Bena moved her hands like an orchestra conductor.

Okay then.

Dododododo.

The dolls disperse to their respective positions in unison, making small noises.

Click.

By turning on the flashlight we brought, the mini theater was complete.

Ahem, Bena cleared her throat and snapped her fingers.

Then, a rabbit doll that looked similar to the one Elin had came jumping toward the center.

“Once upon a time, there was a rabbit who lost all his fortune gambling.”

“!”

Elin’s hair stood on end at the welcome rush.

The puppet show that Bena was going to do was based on Elin’s favorite fairy tale.

“Oh my… Where should I run away to today?”

Did you practice at home alone?

It was such a perfect performance, as if the puppets themselves were doing it.

Flap flap flap.

The fool’s fur was shaking, even flapping.

“Hey, Miss Rabbit. Can we talk for a minute?”

Bena was even more excited by the great reaction from the first audience.

“Wow… … .”

Ellin’s eyes sparkled as she became completely absorbed.

“Ahaha.”

Nia was healed by watching the magical puppet show and the cute Elin.

At the end of an endless virtuous cycle.

“The rabbit met a wonderful fox, came to his senses, and lived happily ever after.”

The story of a man paying off his gambling debts, falling in love with a fox, and living a decent life has come to an end.

Shh shh shh shh.

Ellen clapped her hands.

Transcends the original.

It was a puppet show so excellent that it deserves such description.

Knock knock knock.

Elin walked towards Bena in one breath and grabbed her hand.

“Bena Youngae. Are we friends?”

“Yes, yes, yes?!”

The soft, smooth flesh that suddenly touched my hand.

A confident voice, as if your opinion doesn’t matter.

Blue eyes that seem like they would hypnotize you if you looked at them.

Bena is struggling after being hit three times in a row.

“My, my, I dare to be friends with your highness the princess??”

He’s a great storyteller when manipulating puppets on stage.

When she came out into reality, she was, as expected, a timid Baron Young-ae.

“Do you hate it?”

“Oh, no way! It’s just too much for me… .”

“No.”

Kuk.

The strength in the hands that are held together is increasing.

“I’d rather ask you to be my friend.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“If you show such a wonderful play, it’s natural to want to become friends.”

Ellin, who speaks more eloquently than usual.

Ellen’s speaking skills were on par with Luke’s or better.

“Heh, heh heh… such praise… .”

Bena burst into laughter after being attacked by compliments.

“If you don’t mind me… I, I like it too… .”

“Then, to commemorate our friendship, can you show us another puppet show?”

“Of course! This time, with an original story I wrote myself… .”

Bena, whose happiness level was at its peak, performed the next puppet show with passion.

Ellen was so absorbed in it that she didn’t even realize how much time had passed.

Elin Bertain.

Making my first friend in 13 years!