episode_0193

The atmosphere in the banquet hall momentarily fell silent at the curse that unexpectedly escaped my lips.

Just on the surface, it was a noble lady cursing at the prince. Even those who knew me as just a low-ranking noble lady would see it as nothing short of a declaration of war.

“Damn it.”

I was definitely preparing a proper response in my mind, but as soon as my mouth opened, the curse slipped out reflexively.

But seriously, how do you deal with such a damn situation?

Without even considering hiding behind a face or diverting their gaze, those double-faced nobles who put on a sweet act while acting like hooligans towards noble ladies made it impossible for any kind words to come out.

Maybe if it was just one MacHeart guy who heard it, I could have somehow brazened it out, but unfortunately, the words that came out of my mouth were not something small.

At least it was clearly heard by the extras following behind the greasy prince.

“You…! How dare you curse at the esteemed MacHeart Prince?!”

“How could you! Do you think you can be forgiven just because you have a pretty face?!”

“Just because you have a big chest, do you think you have the right to blabber like that?!”

“Damn it, seriously.”

Facing this greasy blonde face in front of me felt like a beggar, and the followers who followed him, calling themselves nobles, were annoying with each word they uttered.

And why mention everyone’s physical features, whether male or female? Who wanted to possess a character with such a big chest?

Suppressing the desire to reach for the dagger hidden inside the dress skirt, I quietly waited for MacHeart’s response in front of me.

The reason for the tense atmosphere was my initial slip of the tongue, but anyway, this guy in front of me was undoubtedly the villain of the “Luminor Academy.”

Even if he drew his sword and threatened me for insulting the royal family, it wouldn’t be surprising, so I didn’t let my guard down against any potential threats.

“You’re quite bold, young lady.”

“……Excuse me?”

“I apologize. If I have offended you by not having the talent to move a woman’s heart, I apologize. Goodbye.”

“Oh, um….”

However, MacHeart withdrew from his seat with a surprisingly cool expression, leaving no room for me to apologize for my mistake.

“You! Just because you have a half-and-half face, you’re so arrogant… Wait, MacHeart!”

“Your Highness, why are you bowing to that woman…?”

In addition to that, the group of noble ladies who had been staring at me with disdain just a moment ago disappeared with him, leaving me bewildered. Ethan, standing to my right, spoke up in confusion.

“Are you okay, Lily?”

“Oh, Ethan. Yes, I’m fine for now….”

“It’s okay. Lily didn’t do anything wrong, and that MacHeart Prince over there was the one who made the first mistake.”

Ethan, who used strong words against the prince and wrapped me in his protection, was comforting me.

Well, when you think about it, he did make the first mistake.

It was a behavior that would be chewed out from behind if an ordinary noble lady did such a thing in society.

Only because of my appearance and family background, I haven’t faced any complaints from the nobles so far. On the contrary, there are plenty of women who are eager to show off even the inside of their clothes if you direct your gaze towards their chest.

But even considering that, the fact remains that I was the one who cursed in front of the prince, and that was a mistake.

“I agree with Ed, but I definitely made a mistake this time.”

“Huh?”

“I was preparing a proper response. But I got so flustered that I blurted out something else. I might have to apologize separately to Prince MacHeart later.”

“Something else… You mean you didn’t mean what you said?”

“No, I did feel uncomfortable. But even if it’s true, speaking it out loud itself is a sin.”

“…Alright, Lily.”

Edan, who seemed relieved at my mention of feeling uncomfortable, had a look of concern on his face.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but smile and ask, “Why, Ed? Did you think I would have strange feelings for him?”

“….”

“Don’t worry. As I’ve said before, I’ve never thought about dating or marrying anyone other than you, Ed.”

“S-sorry, Lily… I thought… I had strange thoughts…”

Edan, who was trying to suppress his worry that I might have feelings for MacHeart, was oddly satisfying to tease.

But my time teasing Edan didn’t last long, as two shadows quickly approached me from a distance.

“Hey, hey! Are you out of your mind…?!”

“Oh, Agnes.”

“Why on earth would you say something like that?! Do you know what rank he is in the succession line?! No, forget about the succession line, how could you say that in front of the nobility?!”

“…It was just a slip of the tongue.”

“That’s not something that can be resolved with just words…!”

Agnes shook my shoulders vigorously with a serious expression.

Due to the difference in weight distribution, it felt like she was the one shaking more than me.

But what could I do. The words were already spoken.

And shortly after, while Agnes rushed towards me with a lack of noble etiquette, another noble, Seraphine, approached me cautiously.

“Lilith, why would you make such a risky statement…?”

“I apologize, Princess Seraphine.”

“Of course, our fourth brother is quite fond of women, but still, it might have been a bit risky to curse in front of him.”

“It was a mistake. I was planning to greet him normally, but it just slipped out…”

“…I don’t like the way MacHeart behaves either. I understand Lilith’s feelings, but…”

Seraphine showed a worried reaction to my disrespectful remarks towards the nobility.

Despite her concerns, she surprisingly calmly agreed with my brother’s criticism.

It was a moment that confirmed once again that even if they share the same blood, the siblings of the Valtoria family, a noble family, don’t have a particularly good relationship.

The members of the royal family may have pretended to be on good terms with each other at some point, but it was true that the noble families had essentially split apart after the death of the first prince, Phillipson.

“And the noble involved in the death of the first prince was that MacHart.”

It wasn’t particularly important that the first prince wasn’t a great candidate for the next emperor. What was crucial was that his death had caused a division within the royal family.

Furthermore, the fact that MacHart had ties to the demons left no room for normal consideration.

In that sense, perhaps my recent actions might have actually been for the better. If I were to get involved with him for no reason, we would only end up destroying each other.

It might have been more reasonable to decisively push him away rather than giving him a chance to continue causing trouble.

After all, MacHart himself was too engrossed in his womanizing to have a proper influence aside from the blind followers, so he wasn’t really a threatening opponent politically.

“I apologize, but I believed that Lillis’s judgment was correct, Princess Seraphine. No matter how much of a prince he may be, openly speaking to my fiancée… doesn’t seem very favorable in my eyes.”

“…I’m not exactly reprimanding you. I just hope you’ll refrain from such risky behavior. MacHart himself may not be threatening, but if Lillis were to show this attitude to my other siblings, it would be difficult for me to protect them. I was just worried.”

“…I, I don’t think Lillis did anything wrong. I don’t like him either.”

Perhaps due to my recent statement, there was a subtle atmosphere of a ‘anti-MacHart alliance’ forming. It was natural, considering that Agnes and Seraphine didn’t particularly like the fourth prince in the original work.

“Thank you for your concern, Princess Seraphine. I will be more careful in the future.”

“…Yes. Please be careful, Lillis.”

As MacHart and his followers disappeared to the other side of the banquet hall, the surprised Agnes and Seraphine also moved back to where Gethmog and Cerista were, and the banquet seemed to continue peacefully once again.

Ultimately, the curse I had hurled at MacHart became nothing more than a mere incident shortly afterwards.

…After the official start of the banquet, an event occurred that would cause much more chaos in the hall.