56 – The Villainess Feels Strange
Did I hear it wrong?
“⋯⋯Did you say yes?”
Shael nodded her head. She couldn’t believe it was real.
No, it doesn’t feel like it’s real even now in the first place. Because it was such an unrealistic answer.
“⋯⋯ Are you going to cancel what you said?”
“⋯.”
Shael is even provoking me. But I was not so impatient as to succumb to the provocation.
To be honest, marriage can’t be that simple.
“It was a joke.”
“It wasn’t me?”
Shael still attacks me. At this point, I have my doubts. If marriage is what you really want to do, don’t you usually do it with an excited expression on your face?
But not Sael. She’s just wearing her usual, devilish smile.
‘⋯⋯Are you trying to make fun of me?’
It’s clear. Otherwise, there’s no way I’d take a joke joke so seriously.
I spoke to push Sael into her role.
“Okay, let’s do it. Marriage. Can I tell the duke right away tomorrow?”
If it came this far, Shael would be embarrassed and she would have no choice but to reject it. But the villain’s way of thinking was beyond my imagination.
“No, I will tell you today.”
“⋯.”
I felt that something was wrong. What Shael was doing was not joking. Although the intention seems impure.
“⋯⋯No. Of course it was a joke.”
“⋯⋯ Why do you keep changing your words?”
To be honest, I have nothing to say. It’s because I’ve been wrong since I spit out such a joke from the beginning.
There was no need for shabby excuses.
“Do you like me?”
“Now, what…”
A huge stone fastball thrown at Sael. The effect was great too.
“Otherwise, there’s no reason to take such a joke seriously, is there?”
“⋯.”
Of course, Shael couldn’t answer my words. There must have been a dark reason for that.
That’s how the case ended. Without saying a word, I took Sael and walked down the alleys of Baslet Street.
At last the clock was pointing at the time I wanted. I changed my aimless steps and headed somewhere.
“Where are you going?”
“I heard there is a festival nearby.”
I wanted to make my work at the Baslett family as enjoyable as possible, so I knew where to go in advance. It happened to be a festival held near Baslett’s estate.
“Fleorin Manor is famous for its fireworks.”
“Pleolin⋯⋯?”
⋯⋯ Sael, who has no social skills, doesn’t seem to know about other families.
As I was talking with Shael in the Baslet family’s carriage, she arrived at Pleorin’s estate before I knew it.
Crowded people. Sael and I wore plain clothes that we had prepared in advance, so we were able to go unnoticed.
“We still have a little time before the fireworks display.”
That doesn’t mean there was no spectacle. Since there are a lot of people, of course, the attention of merchants is also attracted. So there were a lot of different kinds of stalls.
“Go over there.”
The place I came with Sael. All kinds of scrolls for enchanting were listed there.
“There is a necklace I gave you for my last birthday, so I think you can use it.”
“⋯⋯Yes.”
If you choose from the Azbel family, you can use a better magic circle, but…
I didn’t want to disappoint Shael, who was full of expectations. It’s a magic circle in the first place.
“What is this?”
“Ah, it’s a protection-type scroll!”
As soon as Sael heard the merchant’s explanation, he pointed to another scroll. However, the scroll Sael wanted did not come easily.
Only the streets. So there won’t be many scrolls that meet Sael’s expectations…
“I’ll take this one.”
“Yes, thank you!”
Sael quickly bought one of her scrolls and put it on her necklace. That scroll is a tracking-type scroll.
Then Shael looked at me. She meant that she would designate me as the medium.
“⋯⋯What the hell are you trying to do with tracking magic?”
“I have no veto.”
I had no choice but to accept it. The really expensive money disappeared on an insignificant scroll.
Now Sael knows where I am.
After simply filling your stomach. She looked at her watch. But she could tell that the festivities had begun even before that.
A small firecracker exploded in the air.
Just when everyone focused their attention, the lord of Pleorin came up to the building located high up. He began to speak loudly, using sound amplification magic.
“Thank you for visiting the Fireworks Festival in the Pleorin Territory! After the small ceremony after my speech, the real fireworks will begin.”
It was quite different from the original festival. From what I know, the fireworks would have started as soon as the speech was over.
The lord of Pleorin continued.
“Isn’t it boring to have an event that just repeats every time? So I prepared. There were a lot of lovers who came to see the fireworks just in time.”
At the same time, a butler next to Lord Pleorin lowered the awkwardly placed tent. Then, what was revealed was a large jewel.
A jewel whose size is comparable to that of an elephant.
“Can you see it!? It is a truly stunning gem. But that’s not all that makes this gem special.”
The lord touched the jewel. There was no response. Next Mrs. Fleurin got her hands on the jewels.
Then the jewel vibrated and emitted a weak light.
“I think there are people who are expecting it. You’re right! It is a jewel that shines and vibrates the more we think about each other.”
It was truly a jewel for lovers. Just because you think a lot, that doesn’t mean love…
What is the importance of this?
Anyway, considering that the jewel was a durable one, it was the lord of Pleorin who made a huge investment.
To make the next festival overflowing with crowds, they must be investing endlessly. The item the lord took out as a reward was also something that could not be easily seen.
“A pair of mutually exclusive rings of control that will be given to the lover who shines the brightest with gemstones!”
It’s a really precious item, but…
I don’t know if that’s a really good thing. It was a ring I saw in the original novel, so I know it well.
If you wear it on the other person⋯ A ring that can restrict you from talking to people of a different gender, excluding the person wearing the other ring and blood relatives.
To be honest, there is nothing but loss. Once you put it on, you can only take it out with your lover’s permission.
“Can I buy that ring with money?”
“⋯⋯Let’s just participate.”
I had no choice but to participate. I didn’t even think that I would be able to win over other lovers in the first place.
The short tournament started like that. Before I knew it, it was Shael and my turn.
Wow
The lovers right in front of you put their hands on jewelry. The jewel then began to emit an intense light. The most intense light I’ve ever seen.
Seeing this, I am convinced. So she told Shael, who had high expectations.
“I can’t win.”
“⋯.”
Shall and I were standing in front of the jewelry. Anticipating the obvious outcome, I put my hand on the jewel.
Wooooo!!
A jewel that shines and resonates more extensively than ever before. I couldn’t help but feel discouraged.
“⋯⋯.”
It’s true that I usually pay a lot of attention to Shael, but…
Does this make sense? I’m sure Sael doesn’t think much of me, right?
“⋯⋯, This robber…”
The lord of Pleorin, who was speechless for a moment, opened his mouth.
“⋯⋯We think of each other even when we sleep. Bar, it seems that the owner of the ring has been decided.”
As expected, something is wrong with this.
But the event was over before I knew it. So, the owner of the ring of control was decided.
“Please wear it.”
“⋯.”
Shael was already wearing the other one. After thinking about it for a while, I had no choice but to wear the ring.
⋯⋯ Is this correct?
I don’t know. After all, I’m sure of my future. ⋯⋯ Maybe it will be fine.
* * *
It’s been three days since I went to the fireworks festival in Eran and the Pleorin Territory.
As time passed, Shael’s mood gradually got weirder. It was because the end of Eran the pharmacist had been talking about was approaching.
No, maybe faster. As the fortune teller said.
-‘⋯⋯You guys! I see death in the near future!’
The pharmacist’s advice and the fortune teller’s words do not leave Sael’s head.
-‘One week. No, maybe death will come in the near future.’
As he hugged the doll Eran gave him, Shael thought.
From now on, I won’t be able to eat dessert.
That should be all. It’s just dessert.
No, actually, dessert is really important, but…
Just because Eran didn’t exist didn’t mean I couldn’t eat dessert. You can also receive a dessert recipe from Eran through blackmail.
But Shael couldn’t do that. Leave a dessert recipe as her will. Sael couldn’t even think of the shameless words Sael would have said a few months ago.
“⋯.”
I erased the complicated thoughts in my head. This is all happening because Eran, who will be Shael’s stress reliever, did not come.
So Eran was bad.
I’ll have to wait another hour or so…
Shael felt annoyed and buried her face in her doll.
But that was only for a moment.
Shael felt strange. The sound of something breaking in her. If it was the Azbel family’s mansion covered with all sorts of magic, there was no way that robbers would come in.
In the beginning, Duke Jespen was in the mansion. There must be great Azbel family wizards too.
So Shael listened to her. Then, little by little, the screams of the maids were heard.
It was clear that something was wrong. What’s even more strange is that no one is visiting Sael’s room.
If there was a danger to the mansion, the most important thing in the Azbel family was Shael. So, this was a really strange thing.
“⋯⋯?”
Shortly, Shael got up from his seat and looked for Duke Jespen’s magic circle surrounding the mansion.
The magic circle that Duke Jespen must have put the most effort into making is shattered. The meaning was simple.
Someone broke the magic circle. And if he had that level of skill, he would be a great powerhouse.
Shael left her room holding the doll Eran gave her.
Shael doesn’t feel the holy power very well. Her thick holy power enveloped the Azbel Mansion, enough for Sael to notice.