episode_0090

I thought as I watched Elin walk slowly along.

Maybe this will be my last chance to dance like this.

In fact, even if I hadn’t sneaked into the lighthouse, this wouldn’t have happened.

Since there are just the two of us, Luke is hanging out with us right now.

In a social gathering full of nobles, you have to dance with other people.

If there were rumors that she couldn’t find a partner and was dancing with a tutor.

No matter how great your skills are, there will always be flaws.

From now on, shouldn’t we find a man who can hang out with Elin?

“… … ”

When I think about it like that, a corner of my heart becomes uncomfortable.

Although we are not related by blood.

Elin is someone I raised like a real daughter.

But when I think about growing up and getting engaged to another man… … .

Well, I guess I’ll have to be a little more picky about the conditions.

First of all, even if Luke disappears, you have to be able to protect him firmly.

The property must not be less than Bertha’s.

So, first of all, we should look for it among the princes… .

Kuk.

The feeling of a small foot pressing down on the instep.

I woke up from my reverie.

“Sorry.”

It was only then that I realized I was imagining too far into the future.

First of all, we need to ensure Elin’s safety.

Let’s think about that later.

“It’s okay. Go ahead, Your Highness. This is your first time.”

I spun Elin around and looked out the window.

The Bucklin mansion, shining brightly.

There appears to be a trace of the ground being slightly turned upside down because it was lifted and then put down earlier.

I can’t believe we’ve already achieved that much.

If they went at it with full force, it was certain that Luke would lose.

Moreover, isn’t the condition worse now that the price has been paid?

We already have weapons of war.

But survival isn’t just about strength.

I hope this opportunity will help me make my name known to some extent.

There’s a world of difference between becoming a monster with a lot of rumors and becoming a great wizard respected by wizards.

“By the way, you’ll be 16 next year.”

“Huh? Yeah.”

Elin, who had been moving her feet in a state of intense concentration, raised her head.

But immediately he stepped on Luke’s instep.

He continued speaking without paying any attention.

“Do you have any plans to go to the academy, Princess?”

In fact, there is no better place to build connections than the Academy.

You can make friends with nobles, commoners, and even people from other countries.

Besides, if it was Elin, the professors would definitely like her.

… Now that I think about it, that doesn’t seem like a particularly good thing.

“I still… don’t know.”

“Didn’t Bena say that she’s going to enroll next year?”

“That’s right.”

Attending the academy would definitely be a great experience.

Rolling around with your peers under the professor is an event you can only experience at the academy.

But Elin shook her stupid hair as if something was bothering her.

“But teacher, can’t you go in with me…?”

◦The rule is that only %◦students are admitted.”

“Then I won’t go.”

Elin shakes her head.

The expression was relaxed.

As if his worries had been resolved, he started moving his feet again.

Thanks to that, the top of my feet became more comfortable.

My mind was not at ease.

“Wouldn’t it be okay if you were with Bena even without me?”

“I hate it when there’s no teacher.”

“We’ll have to break up someday. Practicing apart is also slowly… .”

Stop.

Ellen’s feet stopped.

“Break up? Why?”

Blue eyes filled with pure question.

Luke was momentarily speechless.

“You said you’d be by my side for the rest of my life?”

Elin firmly believed Luke’s words.

Without a single doubt.

It was difficult.

It is a truth that must be told someday.

I can’t stay by Elin’s side forever.

You may need to prepare yourself mentally sooner than you think.

How can I convey this without causing any harm?

“… That’s right. I will always be by your side, Princess.”

I couldn’t find the answer, so I ended up lying again today.

“Right?”

Ellen slowly let go of Luke’s hand, her hair fluttering.

Have you ever practiced dancing without any worries?

I clung to the window and looked down.

“Are you still looking for a teacher?”

“Well, maybe they’re starting to announce their marriage now.”

The sun has completely set, so Dien must be starting to wake up.

If Victor makes a big announcement, the wizards who were looking for Luke will have no choice but to listen.

okay.

It’s okay for now.

Victor and Diane will have a happy married life.

Ellen will definitely be the next head of the household.

Everything is going smoothly.

So let’s just postpone it a little bit, just a little bit longer.

It won’t be too late to tell you once Ellen has fully settled in.

At that time, the stranger can just leave quietly.

I thought about it, but I couldn’t help but feel a bitter taste in my mouth.

* * * * *

The day I went to church.

Elin spent the night tossing and turning with her pounding heart.

I couldn’t sleep that well.

The next morning.

Something unusual happened in my ordinary daily life.

“Princess. Wake up, Princess.”

Shake shake.

The feeling of someone shaking your body.

It wasn’t Anne’s hand that woke me up every day.

It’s bigger and warmer than that… .

“… Teacher.”

Elin slightly raised her eyelids.

He grumbled and rested his head on Luke’s hand.

Old habits came out while I was sleeping.

Elin, who had been acting like a cat for a while, felt something strange later.

“Why is the teacher here?”

“The Duke has summoned you.”

“… … !”

Suddenly.

All sleep disappeared.

“… Why?”

“I don’t know either. Since you called me with your majesty, I have to go and see for myself.”

“… … ”

Ellen bit her lips tightly.

Even after several years, I was still afraid of my father.

“Go take a bath.”

“… Yeah.”

I walked slowly to the bathhouse.

Anne, who had been waiting, looked at him and asked if he was okay.

Luke shrugged.

I can guess why the Duke called me.

That’s because I didn’t know what to say.

So, I have no choice but to go and see for myself.

After finishing my bath, I headed to the Duke’s office with Elin.

Ellen’s face was still dark.

dripping.

“Luke Bucklin, Your Majesty. I heard you called.”

Click-

Instead of an answer, the door opened.

The maid who opened the door nodded silently and left the office.

“Are you here?”

The peacock, who had been sitting at the desk with his eyes closed, lifted his eyelids.

Blue eyes that feel intimidating just by looking at them.

Kuk.

Elin’s hands were strengthened.

I was starting to feel more confident, but I was certain that I could never beat my father.

Maybe my head would fly off before I could even move my mana.

“I thought you were busy worrying about Princess Clavel.”

Luke said, patting Elin’s back as she trembled slightly.

“I was busy.”

The Duke placed something on the desk.

It was a newspaper published by the empire.

“I was really busy. I couldn’t ignore this.”

A newspaper that even had Elin’s face on the front page.

… … When on earth was this photo taken?

“Have you read it?”

“No, I didn’t even know it came out.”

“Read this.”

I slowly read the newspaper the Duke had handed me together with Elin.

First of all, the headline is provocative.

It was a newspaper written only with plain facts, without any fabrications.

In fact, it wasn’t that strange for it to be on the front page of the newspaper.

From her debut in the social world, she showed off a performance that (physically) shook up the banquet hall.

“I’ve been getting a flood of calls since dawn. Why did you hide Elin?”

Nowadays, there are almost no wizards who don’t know Elin.

At the same time, Luke got what he wanted.

“… I’m sure he told me to hide Elin.”

It was the worst possible situation that the Duke did not wish for.

“I have no obligation to do so.”

Luke puffed out his chest proudly.

It’s not that I feel confident because I’ve been surrounded by eight layers of barriers since I came in.

It was because there was really nothing to kneel down for.

“My role is to raise the princess well. Isn’t the talent of a nobleman also an outstanding talent for speaking? I just happened to attend because a good opportunity arose at the moment when I was trying to cultivate that ability.”

“Why was it the Berkeley Society?”

“Yes.”

I know it’s like covering your eyes and pretending not to see.

But then what can we do?

If we touch Luke and Elin now, the growing suspicion will become uncontrollable.

Crunch…!

As expected, the Duke was suppressing his anger by crushing the poor desk.

“How was Elin’s curse lifted?”

There was no way the Duke could not feel the mana gushing out from Elin’s body.

It seems like he’s keeping his mouth shut because he doesn’t know that Luke found out Berthain’s secret.

It looked like it was going to explode at any moment.

Instead of answering, Luke tapped his mouth.

“I can’t say.”

“…Garbage?”

“Yes.”

It’s not that I don’t want to tell you.

Actually, when I tried to talk about dragons, my mouth would shut tight and I couldn’t say anything.

“Hoo… .”

The duke let out a sigh that seemed to convey his complicated feelings.

Meanwhile, Luke felt better.

The Duke is in trouble.

Because Luke successfully landed a blow on the Duke.

The duke was in a position where he had no choice but to pay the debt.

Now that Ellen has caused such a huge accident, we can no longer treat her like she doesn’t exist.

Of course, after handing over the throne to Clavel, he couldn’t just lock Elin up.

In the end, the Duke had only one choice.

“… Get ready for the next housewarming contest.”

The rule is to ask big questions as bigger issues.

Bertha’s Wealth.

The ideal that Elin was revealed to the world.

Clavel takes the next position as the head of the household with overwhelming skill.

The selection of the next head of the five major ducal families is huge news.

If all the attention that was focused on Elin goes to Clavel…

Remove it then.

After the curse was lifted, Elin was nothing more or less than a bomb that could explode at any moment.

The Duke pondered over how to deal with Elin’s ‘accidental death’.