Ch.370[Episode 370] Three-Way Confrontation

Alice suddenly burst into tears.

To those around her, this seemed like a completely unexpected outburst, but considering the environment she had grown up in, it was understandable.

She had lived a lonely life since her days as Lady Alice of Feralant.

Unlike other girls her age, she had roamed battlefields in place of her cowardly father, wielding a sword and riding a warhorse instead of holding dolls and riding hobby horses.

It was the same when she became the Countess of Feralant.

She was an excellent commander, noble, and outstanding knight, but that was all she was.

Everyone saw her only as Alice, Countess of Feralant, and no one saw her as little girl Alice.

It was the same when she completed her tasks in Feralant and caught the eye of the White Crow, becoming a Star.

The White Crow existed entirely alone, but soon realized its power was weakening and chose a new Star.

That was Lady Alice.

In other words, the White Crow only saw Lady Alice as a Star, never as a person.

How could the White Crow, who had been a deity from the beginning, understand the heart of Alice, who had transformed from human to deity?

However, her mental strength was indeed transcendental enough to be called a Star.

She had endured and persevered through all these things alone for hundreds of years.

And what sustained her mental strength was everything she had accomplished.

Her combat prowess, her leadership, her political acumen…

All these things formed the foundation of Alice.

These pillars of confidence were barely supporting Alice’s mental strength.

More accurately, she had been engaging in mental gymnastics.

Or perhaps just barely holding on.

But what happened today completely shattered one of the pillars supporting Alice’s mind.

And it was one of the three axes Alice was most proud of: her combat prowess, political acumen, and leadership.

With the largest pillar shattered, it was only natural that everything else that had been precariously holding on began to collapse.

Finally, all the sorrow, loneliness, sadness, and anger that she had been holding back with mental strength began to flow out at once like a broken dam.

“Just, just for this? I put in all this effort just to be mediocre somewhere else? Just that? And not even a Star. A citizen, a mortal!”

“W-well, in Gacharland, the concept of death is vague. Essentially, immortals—”

“Be quiet!”

Lady Alice ignored the stares of people around her and sat down on the street, sobbing loudly.

Everything she had built up until now came pouring out like baby babble.

“Why have I lived so diligently until now? Why was I so obsessed with strength and charisma? And for what? Just to be average here?”

Her words about not even being a Star but just a citizen were barely audible through her sniffling and runny nose.

If Sir Dominic had heard this, he would have told her that being a Star in Gacharland doesn’t necessarily mean having great combat power, but unfortunately, Sir Dominic didn’t hear this jumbled mess of words.

“I wanted to tell Sir Dominic this when I saw him! That I’ve lived so diligently! That I’m such a good woman! I wanted to tell him that when I saw him again! But what is this! After living so hard, just average? Whyyy?”

Ah. Sir Dominic finally realized why Lady Alice was so upset.

Lady Alice had wanted to show Sir Dominic how well she was living, but now she was consumed by the thought of how ridiculous she must have looked in Sir Dominic’s eyes.

And Sir Dominic’s guess was almost correct.

“Getting a better house, earning more money, and even Sir Dominic who trained for 2 years is stronger than me who trained for 200 years… I, I… what was it all for…”

With those final words, Lady Alice fell silent and just cried.

Crouched on the ground, she buried her face between her knees, her shoulders trembling as Sir Dominic heard only the sound of her sniffling.

Unryu Hime also looked at Lady Alice with sympathetic eyes.

Feeling sorry for Lady Alice, Hime approached her.

And patted Lady Alice on the shoulder.

Feeling the sudden touch on her shoulder, Lady Alice looked up.

Though it was a brief moment, her eyes were red and swollen from crying so bitterly.

Hime met the eyes of the Countess who had raised her head.

And with sympathetic eyes, she said this to Lady Alice:

“So, you did come to flirt with Sir Dominic, right?”

Hime suddenly smiled brightly.

With this abrupt change in expression, Lady Alice looked dazed, as if she couldn’t understand the situation.

“I see… you came to flirt with Sir Dominic…”

Hime, with an extremely benevolent expression, grabbed both of Lady Alice’s shoulders.

And with a benevolent yet shadowed face, she smiled and whispered in Lady Alice’s ear:

“Do you want to die?”

At those chilling words, Lady Alice involuntarily flinched.

Surprisingly, Hime maintained a very calm and benevolent expression as she spoke just loudly enough for only Lady Alice to hear:

“Don’t touch the man I’ve claimed.”

Saying that, Hime hugged Lady Alice tightly.

From the outside, it looked as if Hime was comforting Lady Alice.

However, if one looked closely, one might notice the dissonance between Hime’s eyes glinting with murderous intent and Lady Alice’s eyes trembling with uncertainty.

Hime’s harsh thoughts, Alice’s anxious gaze, and Sir Dominic watching it all.

Unfortunately, Sir Dominic didn’t notice anything about this situation at all.

…

“Excuse me, Sir Dominic. Do you have any tissues? I think I need to wipe around her eyes.”

Hime urgently asked Sir Dominic for tissues.

However, while Sir Dominic might carry jellies and candies, he didn’t have any tissues.

“Wait a moment. I’ll quickly buy some from the convenience store.”

Fortunately, Sir Dominic did have money.

Sir Dominic headed to a nearby convenience store to buy tissues.

Of course, since no stores sold them individually, he would have to visit several places.

As Hime watched Sir Dominic disappear into the distance to buy tissues, she said to Alice:

“…Hey.”

Alice’s body flinched.

“Now you understand, right? How much I like Sir Dominic.”

Hime said this while looking at Alice.

Alice still had her head bowed and wasn’t showing her face properly.

Maybe she’s scared? Hime made her own assumption.

“I’ll forget everything that’s happened until now. I don’t mind if you’re seen with Sir Dominic. But… Sir Dominic is mine.”

Hime boldly asserted her love for Sir Dominic to Alice.

Hime’s growth wasn’t just about misunderstandings.

In this aspect too, Hime had grown quite a bit.

Of course, if asked whether she had grown in a good way, one might tilt their head in doubt, but growth was growth nonetheless.

Lady Alice remained silent.

She just kept her head down and stayed still.

Hime, frustrated by Lady Alice’s lack of response, spoke to prompt an answer.

“Hey—”

“Sir Dominic isn’t here right now, is he?”

“…?”

Hime had tried to get a response from Alice, but Alice suddenly started saying strange things.

Then she jerked her head up.

She still had tear stains and swollen eyes, and her body was trembling.

But Hime noticed that Alice’s demeanor was quite different from just moments ago.

No, there was no need to observe.

Alice was gripping both her arms, trembling with what seemed like ecstasy, and wearing an expression of rapture.

“Ah, indeed. Books are always the mentors of the heart.”

Alice uttered incomprehensible words as she looked at Hime.

“Excuse me, you’re Miss Hime, right?”

Alice recalled what Sir Dominic had said earlier.

“Miss Hime, you don’t have much dating experience, do you?”

“…!”

Hime frowned at Alice’s words.

Since she hadn’t dated anyone before falling for Sir Dominic, Alice’s words were true.

“…How did you know?”

“Of course I know. Acting so strongly in the situation just now, how could I not know?”

Saying that, Alice pulled out a book from inside her clothes.

It had a very tacky heart-patterned cover with the title “Five Discourses on Love.”

Alice opened to a bookmarked page and read one phrase written there.

“Men are creatures with strong pride, so they are more interested in those they can protect rather than those who protect them. Five Discourses on Love, page 47, line 7.”

With that quote, Alice closed the book with a snap.

“A woman who appears so strong lacks charm, Miss Hime.”

Hime realized from Alice’s changed demeanor that all of this had been Alice’s plan.

Hime glared at Alice.

Alice was not the pushover Hime had thought her to be.